The Things We Do For Love
by ticketgirl95
Summary: Carlisle owes Demetri a favor. He takes the family to Italy to find they must take in a 16 yr old girl named Bella. Edward falls instantly in love. Will he risk his own life and family to protect her from the Volturi?
1. Favors

Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight

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Chapter 1 - Favors

CPOV

Is was another typically slow day at Forks Hospital - one case of a stomach virus, a fishing hook extraction, and the birth of a child. I was going about my duties as the attending physician, finishing up paperwork in my office, when my telephone rang. The voice I heard on the line was one I hadn't heard in decades. Demetri Bollai, the man to whom I owed my life.

It had been decades since we last spoke. One of the last encounter burned into my memory for an eternity. It was then that he gave me the gift for which I would forever be indebted to him.

"Hello, Carlisle," he greeted me solemnly.

"Hello, Demetri. It has been a very long time. Too long, old friend," I replied.

"Carlisle, I need your help with a situation and I have nowhere else to turn," his tone was lifeless.

"Of course, Demetri," I responded. "You know I will help you in anyway I can," I added. I owed everything to Demetri and I could refuse him nothing.

"Carlisle I need you to come to Italy. My family needs your help," Demetri continued.

"Family? Am I to assume you finally went and made an honest woman of Heidi?" I questioned jovially, trying to lighten his mood.

"I suppose you could say she made an honest man of me," he chuckled.

"What is it with these women? Ah, Brother, the things we men do for love," I replied.

"Yes, I suppose you know as well as I do what we are willing to sacrifice for those we love," his reply was ominous and sent a shiver through my body.

"Indeed I do. I also know what it's like to owe a brother my very existence, to be indebted to him for what he once gave me in the name of love. So please tell me what you need Demetri, as I suspect this isn't a simple call between two old friends. Whatever you need, you know I will give it to you without question," I told him.

"That's exactly what I am counting on, Carlisle," he replied.

"It is a complicated story, one better explained in person. I will tell you now that the Volturi are involved. They suspect, rightfully so, that I am hiding something very powerful from them. I cannot go into details right now on what that is. Just understand that I have a very serious proposition for you and your family. I assure you that I will do everything in my power to make sure the Volturi never find out that your family is in anyway involved. That secret will die with Heidi and me," his words came out rushed.

As I was trying to process it all, his final words struck me. "Demetri, what do you mean, die with you and Heidi," I questioned.

"Please just come to Italy, Carlisle. Bring the rest of your family, as they have a say in this matter as well. It will affect you all in a way you can never imagine. I am not asking you to agree here and now to accept responsibility for what I want to give you. All I request is an audience with your family. I ask nothing more of you than to hear what my wife and I have to propose. Once you hear our story, then you can decide if you wish to help us. I will not fault you for any decision you make once we are heard," he explained.

I had no clue as to what he was referring to but I knew the sound of desperation in his voice. Yes, this was bad, very bad. Regardless, I could not refuse his pleas.

"Consider it done, Demetri. We will leave as soon as possible. I will call you back with the travel arrangements," I informed him.

"Thank you, Carlisle. You are the only one I can trust with this, Brother," he said before he hung up the telephone.

I was stunned, confused, and had so many questions. What could he be hiding from the Volturi? What could he have to give me that would be worth dying for? Should I subject my family to any type of possible danger?

How could I possibly refuse Demetri? I owed him more than anyone can imagine. I owed him everything I held dear to me. He was responsible for the decades of happiness I had experienced as a husband and a father, for restoring my faith in God, for saving my soul. He was the man that had risked his own existence so that I could hold on to what was dearest to me. Esme, my wife, my angel.

/

Esme was the mother of an infant patient of mine many years ago. Esme had lost her husband during the war and the baby girl was all she had left. But the child was dying.

I immediately fell in love with Esme. I watched her with her daughter every day for a month. I saw her depression grew daily and I wanted to take away all her pain. I knew it was wrong to become so involved with a human. No good could come of it. But I couldn't help myself. She had effected me like no other person, or vampire, ever had. She was all that was good in the world and she made me want to be a better man. I wanted a future with her. I wanted a family with her. Could there be a way? Could she ever want me in the same way I so desperately wanted her? It was foolish to wish for these unobtainable human things.

I had foreseen the coming events. A human heart can only handle so much pain before it breaks. She had decided to take her own life. I could see the hopelessness in her eyes. I couldn't allow her to do it. I had to stop her. I had to show her she could go on, that she could survive this.

The night of her daughter's death, I watched as the last flicker of life left Esme's eyes. I knew what would come next; she would end her own life. Standing in the hospital hall outside her daughter's room I tried to convince her, that she still had a life to look forward to. I tried to convey my feelings for her without saying those three words. And then it happened. She smiled at me.

Stunned, all I could do was stand there as she walked away from me to go and greet her inevitable death. That single, frail, lifeless smile had sent my long dead heart soaring. No, it was not foolish to want a life with this woman. After centuries, I realized, with that one smile, the reason for my existence. I was put here to cherish this woman for all eternity.

After that realization, I finally came to my senses, but she was already gone. I rushed back to the nurses' station searching for her daughter's medical records. Having found Esme's address, I rushed out of the hospital to find her and stop her from taking her own life.

I left the hospital and had begun running with vampire speed towards her apartment. It was only five short blocks but it felt like a thousand miles. As I ran towards my love, I tried to sort out exactly how I planned to stop her.

Declare my love like an insane person? She would surely end her life right then and there just to escape me. There was no time to plan this. I decided I just had to act and stop her from ending her life and, in effect, ending mine. For I knew, I could not exist in a world in which she did not.

I found myself standing in front of her apartment door. I knocked but there was no answer. I opened the door and walked through the dark, still apartment. I could smell her scent behind a closed door. I heard her quiet sobs. I wasn't too late.

I opened the door to find her lying on the bathroom floor, crying. A small caliber handgun only inches away from her hand. I gathered her into my arms. There was no fight left in her. She was a mere shell, empty and lifeless. I stroked her cheek as she looked into my eyes. Then I whispered to her, "I love you. There is another way. I want to give you a chance at a new life, with me. Please trust me." And again, she smiled at me.

From that moment on I never left her side. I protected her, I eased her pain, and I loved her with all my heart and soul. Yes, vampires do indeed have a heart and soul. Esme taught me that.

But it almost all came crashing down around me after five years of happiness with Esme. I should have known five minutes with my beautiful angel was more than I deserved. God was cruel and this was his punishment for what I was. If only I would have changed her in the beginning. But I loved Esme too much to damn her to this kind of existence. She had begged me more and more towards the end of her human life to change her. But I was hardheaded and stubborn.

I had been visiting Tanya Denali and her sisters in Alaska to make arrangements for Edward, Esme and me to relocate. During a visit from one of their friends, I learned that the Volutri had discovered that I had revealed myself to a human. The decree was that Esme be put to death. I also learned that Demetri was the chosen guard to rectify the situation. Demetri, my dearest friend.

Demetri had been ordered to seek out Esme and to end her life. Edward and mine as well, should we interfere. Demetri and I had been the best of friends, more like brothers, in another lifetime. But he did not share my views concerning our lifestyle and so we went our separate ways; Demetri staying in Italy and eventually becoming one of the Volturi guard and me starting a family in America.

I soon found myself again racing to save the woman I loved. As I ran towards home, the only thing I could do was pray. Pray to a God that had forsaken me, beg for forgiveness for all the sins I had committed-centuries worth of sin. I bargained with him and offered the end of my existence in exchange for her life. He wasn't listening.

When I arrived at our home, the front door was slightly ajar. A sense of deja vous overtook my senses. Would I be too late this time to save the woman I loved? I entered expecting the worse. I found Demetri and Esme standing in the middle of the room. Tears were streaming down Esme's face. Her beautiful face racked with horror and fear. I was the cause of those tears and the cause of her impending doom. God had indeed condemned me. For an existence without her would be an inescapable hell.

Demetri turned to me. I saw in his eyes remorse, anguish, and love.

"Brother, now is the time. You must change her. I cannot bear to take her from you. They ordered me to relieve the world of this human woman. I vowed to them that I would not leave here until the blood ceased to flow in her veins. She must become one of us. It is the only option. I give this gift to you, Carlisle, because you are my brother and I love you. I will deal with the consequences but this is the only way," he pleaded with me.

I gathered Esme in my arms, just as I had done five years ago when her life was at an end. She stared lovingly into my eyes as I carried her into our bedroom. I laid her gently on our bed and leaned in to deliver the condemning bite.

"I love you. There is another way. I want to give you a new life, with me. Please trust me," I whispered to her, as I had done years ago. Then she smiled at me and I knew in that moment I had not been forsaken by God. God had given me the most precious gift in the form of the angel lying before me, sent here to save my soul, to love me for an eternity.

/

I picked up the phone and dialed Esme's number. After two rings, the sweetest voice I had ever known in all my 400 years, spoke.

"Carlisle, dearest, you aren't calling to say you're going to be late again? You promised. The thought of having the house all to ourselves tonight has had me missing you terribly all day. Wait until you see what I have planned for you Dr. Cullen," she said coyly.

I sat there trying to think of an explanation.

"Carlisle? Is everything okay? What is it, dear?" she asked. Her flirty tone had turned to one of concern.

"Esme, please call Edward and Alice. Let them know I will need them home as soon as possible. There is an emergency in Italy we must attend to."

"Carlisle, I don't understand? What type of emergency?" she questioned.

"Esme, I don't know all the details right now. I believe it may be a matter of life and death. We all must leave as soon as possible," I explained.

"Then you go attend to it. What makes you think I would involve my children in something that is a matter of life and death, as you so grimly put it?" she asked, her previously concerned tone turning to one of anger.

"Esme, please. All of us must go. Please, my angel," I paused before continuing, "Demetri has requested this."

Silence. It took her a few seconds to respond

"Demetri," she stated with reverence, "Yes of course, Carlisle. I will call Edward and Alice now."

"Esme, I love you," I whispered.

"As I love you Carlisle," she responded.

She hung up.

* * *

EsPOV

I hung up the phone. Carlisle's words terrified me, the urgency in them. I was frightened for my family. But what could I do? Demetri needed us now. Carlisle and I could refuse Demetri nothing. We owed him too much to abandon him in his time of need. We owed him our very lives.

/

My first husband had died in Germany in the early days of World War I. I barely knew the man I had married. Like so many love struck children during the war, we meet and married within two weeks. It was a whirlwind romance. We loved each other for the most basic of reasons – he loved my smile and I loved his touch. What more was there? The other things would grow in time, we were certain. For now, we simply vowed to live in the moment.

I became pregnant a month later and he joined the army to provide for his impending family. He was deployed to the front lines immediately. Two months later I received the news that he had been killed. Eight months later I sat in a hospital room watching the only thing I had left in this world, slowly die in front of me; my infant daughter.

I was 20 years old and had already experienced a lifetime of hurt. How much pain can one person endure? Exactly this much it would seem. Once my baby daughter was gone, I knew I would follow right behind her. There was no longer a reason to continue on, no future to be had, no more love to experience. I prayed to God. It was all I could manage. I prayed for him to take me instead of my child. He just wasn't listening.

Dr Cullen had been exceptional and had been doing everything in his power to try to save her. He grew more and more frustrated with each passing day. My daughter was dying. She had been for the past month. I knew that and I had accepted that. Dr. Cullen however refused to give up. Truth be known, he was the only reason I had held on as long as I had. Something was always there, in his eyes, begging me to be strong and to survive this. But I already knew the outcome.

During the last days of my child's life, Carlisle seemed to be coming to terms with the fact that my daughter was not going to survive. He began to focus on comforting me instead of healing my already doomed child. He would utter words of encouragement and hint of a life yet to be lived. I supposed he saw in my eyes that I didn't plan to outlive my daughter by long. Who knew that he was trying to convince me to live on because he had fallen in love with me over the last month?

Finally the day came for my daughter to leave this world and my life to end. My sweet baby took her last breath and drifted away peacefully. She would experience no more pain, no more suffering. For that I was gratefully. It was finally over.

As I made my way down the hospital corridor, Dr. Cullen grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to face him. He had taken my face in his hands and held me there for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes were filled with pain, longing, sympathy, and love.

"Esme, please, continue on. Be strong. Live again. Love again. For me. Love again," he quietly pleaded. I looked at him and smiled. The first time I had smiled in God knows how long.

"Thank you, Carlisle for all you have done. Its time for me to go now," I whispered to him. And with that I turned and left the hospital, headed to my small apartment to finally be done with this life; to end all my pain and suffering.

I should have known that hardheaded, stubborn, annoyingly optimistic, wonderful, handsome, loving doctor wouldn't have left it at that. Carlisle apparently followed me to my apartment. He found me at my lowest, lying on the floor, sobbing. He pulled me into his arms.

"I love you. There is another way. I want to give you a chance at a new life, with me. Please trust me," he whispered in my ear. Those were the words that saved me, the words that had restarted my dead heart.

Over the next few years Carlisle healed me, he made me whole again. He was my rock. He taught me how to mourn. He taught me to smile again. His compassion and strength overwhelmed me at times, but always, he was there for me. Never leaving me.

We were inseparable friends for the first two years. Then our friendship began to grow into so much more. I finally told him I loved him one evening while we strolled through a park. That's when it happened. That's when he told me the secret he had been carrying for centuries. Yes, centuries. My love, my angel, was a vampire.

Shock wasn't exactly a strong enough word to describe what I felt. At first, I thought it was some kind of joke. Then I began to realize he truly believed his own words. At which time I had to resign myself to the fact that I was in love with an insane person.

Eventually Carlisle convinced me of what he was. He explained his convictions in regards to his chosen lifestyle. I accepted him and I loved him. He was the reason that life now went on for me. He was the reason I was able to stand again, breath again, and love again. He had restored my faith in God. For how could God not love me when he chose to bestow upon me this angel of a man who saved me in everyway that a person could be saved? To give him up due to a small technicality was inconceivable.

Life went on. Not long after, Edward joined us and became the son we thought we could never have. Life was perfect. Then came "The Volturi Decree" which threatened to end our happy existence.

I'll always remember the night that a vampire with crimson eyes showed up at our front door. Terror gripped me as he explained that he was there to end my life. A life I was so desperate to end five short years ago, a life, that now, I couldn't bare to give up. All I could do was beg. Tell him how much I loved Carlisle, how I would never reveal their secret to anyone. Then it happened, deja vous, my angel came to save me once again. My angel, Carlisle.

"I love you. There is another way. Please trust me," he uttered the same words to me that had saved me years before and I knew once again that it was not my time to die. God had other plans for my existence.

Crisis quickly averted. Carlisle turned me into a vampire, after months of pestering him myself to do it. All it took was Demetri showing up to kill me to convince him. What is it with men?

In all honesty, immediately following my change, it took quite a lot of willpower not to look at Carlisle, stick out my tongue, and say to him "I told you so."

/

There it was, the reason I could not bring myself to refuse Demetri's request. He had saved us both and I would forever be indebted to him for my life. I resigned myself to trust my husband with the fate of my beloved family.

I picked up the phone and began calling my children.


	2. Interference

I do not own Twilight. The Goddess, Stephenie Meyer does.

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APOV –

Edward and I were in the forest about twenty miles north of our family's home in Forks, WA. We had been finishing up with two large deer when Esme called.

"Alice," she said. "I'm very sorry but your father and I need you and Edward home as soon as possible. An emergency has come up and we need you to postpone your trip to Seattle."

"Is everything okay, Esme," I questioned.

"I'm sure everything is fine, dear. Just an old friend called and needs our help. I'm not sure of the details right now but Carlisle promised to explain when he gets home this evening," she informed me.

"We will be there," I stated as I ended the call.

I didn't bother explaining Esme's call to Edward. I was sure he heard all of her words echoed through my thoughts.

Only a few short hours ago our plans for the weekend had been simple. We were going to feed and then head for Seattle. We had reserved a couple of suites at our favorite waterfront hotel located in Seattle's downtown shopping district. Edward and I had been planning this trip for weeks. The idea being, to make ourselves scarce for the weekend so our parents could enjoy some time to themselves.

It had to be difficult living with two teenage vampires. Vampires with super human hearing, who never slept, and to top it all off, could read your mind and predict the future. I could not imagine an environment less suited for two lovers. Our parents never complained though. They loved us exactly as we were and would never trade us for the world.

Edward and I were very lucky, in that regard. We had been blessed to have two of the most compassionate, loving parents. I was convinced you could spend your entire existence scouring the world and never find another pair that could rival these two magnificent creatures. I am sure of this fact, as I had already searched half the world for them after I had become a vampire.

/

I had no memories of a human life or how I had come to be a vampire. I simply awoke and I simply was.

In that first week, I was bombarded with visions. They ebbed and waned as the tide. Always a constant deluge to my senses. I could barely function, the fire in my throat insignificant, as my future was laid out before me in vision after vision. In these visions I saw Carlisle, Esme, and Edward often. I was always with them surrounded by joy, happiness, and love.

Through my premonitions I was able to understand what I had become. I was able to see that I had the choice of living another lifestyle. I was not damned to an existence of ending lives. Once I decided that I would follow the path that would lead me to the Cullen's, the onslaught of my visions subsided. They were replaced by the intense thirst I had previously been able to ignore. But now I understood that I had options. I had seen that I could feed on animals and not slaughter the innocent. I set out on my first hunt.

Years passed with time being of little consequence. I still had my visions on occasion. I eventually discovered that my visions were never a certainty. A single decision could irrevocably change the outcome of my premonition.

I discovered this one day, while walking down a crowded, New York street. The vision stopped me in my tracks. It was a vision of a mother holding the hand of a small child. The woman had just stepped out of a shop and was waiting to cross the street when, what appeared to be an acquaintance, approached her. In that moment, she let go of the hand she had been holding, to greet the person. The child began sprinting across the street and was struck by a vehicle and killed instantly.

After the vision had passed, I restarted my steps down the sidewalk. As I rounded the corner two blocks up, I saw the woman from my vision exiting a storefront, child beside her, their hands joined. All I could think was that I had to stop what was about to happen. But how could I alter what had already been shown to me? How could I not try? I walked up to the woman as her and the child was nearing the curb. I simply looked at her, pleaded to her with my eyes.

"Never let go," was all I could manage as I glanced from her eyes down to the child standing next to her.

I turned and walked away, heading across the busy street, passing the acquaintance as he made his way to the mother and child. The mother still standing utterly still, I would assume trying to make sense of our brief exchange. The acquaintance greeted her enthusiastically and she snapped out of her daze. She went to lean towards the acquaintance with what appeared to be the intent to embrace. But not before she tightened her grip on the child's hand.

"Don't let go of, Mommy. Okay," she loving instructed the child.

The child nodded and complied as the car that I had envisioned striking the child moments ago, passed the spot where they stood at the curb. When the car had passed from my line of sight, I saw the mother embracing the acquaintance with one arm while firmly gripping the child's hand with the other. A life spared.

In that moment I realized, not only that I could alter the outcome of my visions, but also that they could be used for a greater purpose. I understood that I not only had the option not to take lives, but also the option to save lives. I could use my abilities to protect those around me. It was time to search for the family I had, for so long, envisioned.

After years of searching location after location with nothing more than the vague backgrounds of my images to guide me, I had located the family I had longed for. At that time, they were living in a small remote town just outside of Phoenix, Arizona.

True to my visions, I discovered my place in this world and the family I had so long searched for. Carlisle became my father figure, teaching me, guiding me. Esme was the mother I had never known, or more appropriately, couldn't remember. Her love overwhelmed me at times. And then there was Edward, my brother. He was my rock, my confidante, and my best friend. It felt as though my life was complete.

Well, almost complete. For how could one not feel as though something were missing when you witnessed daily the love between Carlisle and Esme? The force of their feelings for one another could be staggering at times. All the love, the desire, the devotion they emanated was breathtaking.

Edward and I had spoken of it briefly before, wondering to each other if perhaps we might find our soul mates some day, might experience with another, the love our parents had for each other. At the time, I had confided in him that I had once had a vision of a man, a man I felt I was destined to meet one day. That little confession ended the conversation with Edward promptly going into teasings and ridiculous musings in regards to me kissing someone in a tree. Yes, he was truly a brother in every sense of the word.

/

"Earth to Alice," Edward chided.

_Sorry Edward, I was…well you know what I was thinking,_ I thought to him.

"Sorry, Alice. I didn't mean to intrude into your thoughts, I was just wondering if you were having any visions of what Carlisle and Esme may have to discuss with us when we get home," he stated.

_Nothing yet, brother. But you'll be the first to know if I do,_ I teased.

"Since you know I will be watching out for something to appear in that head of yours, do you mind laying off the mushy, sentimental ponderings for a bit? As if I'm not subjected to it enough just by existing in the same house as Esme and Carlisle," Edward groaned.

I let out a small sigh.

_Edward, I absolutely live for the day when a woman comes into your life and knocks you on your smart, cynical ass,_ I informed him.

"Don't hold your breathe, pixie," he said.

We started towards home.

* * *

EPOV

Alice, always the romantic.

I myself had given up on the possibility of love. After 92 years as Carlisle and Esme's son, I had witnessed and heard in their thoughts the sheer depth of their love for one another. It was utterly mind-blowing and physically staggering. Their love was my only reference on the subject so how could anyone, after feeling what was felt between Carlisle and Esme, ever hope for love? To do so would surely be a monumental disappointment in comparison to what they felt for one another. No, the notion of true love held no interest for me.

Alice and I had arrived back at the house and took our places in the great room waiting for Carlisle. Esme was standing at the window, looking out at nothing in particular. She was thinking of her and Carlisle's life together, the child she had lost during her life as a human, and of Alice and me. Her thoughts were plagued by feelings of worry, dread, and loss. I was becoming even more anxious with the situation. I wanted to comfort her, as well as calm myself, so I sat down at my piano bench and began playing Esme's favorite song.

As soon as the first note was struck, her thoughts immediately focused on me. She came to stand behind me as I played the song I had composed for her so long ago. She placed her hand on my shoulder as I finished the piece.

_Thank you, dear_, she thought to me.

I shrugged at her words and replied, "Anytime, mom."

Esme went to stand next to Alice who was sitting on the sofa, just as Carlisle was arriving home. All thoughts in the room immediately began focusing on him, everyone else as anxious as I to understand what was going on. Carlisle, having moved across the room at an inhuman pace, appeared suddenly at Esme's side, his arm gently wrapped around her waist. He began to speak, but I had already 'heard' his words before the first breath crossed his lips.

We were going to Italy. An old friend of my parents had a proposition for our family, a dangerous one.

I had spent some time with Demetri over the years. He would sometimes visit us or us him. The last time we had seen or spoken with him was shortly before Alice joined our family. Demetri was a good man but did not share our views in regards to feeding on human life. He did have rules governing the types of humans he chose, however. He would only take those that were guilty of crimes or those already dying from any one of the many afflictions humans suffer from - sickness, old age. I still didn't agree with his choice of killing humans, no matter how he justified the act, but I could see that he was ultimately good and, like my father, I held hopes that one day we may influence him to agree to our way of life. When he decided to join the Volturi guard, I quickly gave up on that hope.

Carlisle, however, never gave up hoping his friend and brother would eventually be persuaded. That was my father, always looking for the best in people. He had spent the first centuries of his existence alone in his pursuit of 'self-discovery', if you will**. **He spent those centuries as a nomad, seeking out others of our kind. He was desperate to teach them a different way to exist but no one listened. During his travels, he obtained a medical degree. He felt as though he had to give something back, felt that by saving human lives and not taking them, he would be making amends for his own existence.

His pursuits eventually led him to Esme in 1914. He then found me a short time later.

/

It was Chicago during the last days of the war. I had volunteered to join the war and my family was preparing for my departure when we were all stricken with Spanish Influenza. My father, passed away quickly. My mother and I would soon follow.

We were taken to the hospital and left to die with the others afflicted with the same sickness. Only one physician bothered trying to save any of us, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. He spent countless hours with my mother and me, pushing us to be strong, begging us to fight, to survive for one another. In the end, it was all for nothing. My mother passed away and I would have followed her a few short hours later if not for Carlisle interceding.

Dr. Cullen came to see me after learning of my mother's demise. I suppose he saw the last remains of my human life slipping away. He had leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Edward, my son, I want ….

/

I was suddenly ripped from my thoughts of my transformation by Alice's visions. The force of her visions was like nothing I had experienced before. The images flooded my mind so quickly; I barely had time to process all I was seeing.

"Alice!" I heard Esme yell. I could hear the panic in her voice but couldn't find the strength to look over towards Alice to find the cause of Esme's stress.

Carlisle appeared at my side suddenly, shaking me. His tone laced with concern, "Edward, son, what's happening? What does Alice, see?"

I slumped over the keys of the piano with my arms wrapped around my torso. I heard my mother asking Carlisle what they should do. I opened my mouth to begin explaining what I was seeing in Alice's visions but could form no words. The visions were overpowering my reasoning. The images were broken up, full of what could only be described as 'static'. Like a television channel experiencing interference from some another outside influence.

Horses. I am approaching a barn structure. I can hear the whinnies of horses behind the closed doors; smell the animals that are on the inside. I hear a voice. A female's voice. She sounds as though she is addressing the animals inside with words of comfort and encouragement. The sound of that voice is affecting me like nothing else ever has. It is a voice that you would expect to hear from an angel. Sweet, melodic, the voice invoking feelings I have never felt before. Feelings of love, longing, hope. I cross the threshold of the barn door, smiling, anticipating what I am about to find inside….

The vision abruptly ends. Blackness, then another onslaught begins.

I am crossing through an archway into a grand ballroom. Alice is by my side, arm linked through mine. I am smiling and laughing as I watch a parade of dancers pass us. Everyone is in costume. There are people dressed as various animals, fairy tale characters, and monsters. Slow music is playing in the background providing the lovers among us the perfect opportunity to hold one another close and move in rhythm. I am very anxious, nervous, excited. The feeling of anticipation ruling all my thought processes. I lean to Alice and ask, "Where is she?" Alice smiles and points. I turn my head in the direction of her gaze….

"Edward, you must try to tell us what is happening. What do you see?" I hear Carlisle pleading with me. It sounded so distant though. I tried to struggle my way to the surface. I felt as though I was drowning, drowning in the visions coming from Alice. The visions were rolling over me with the speed and force of a tidal wave.

"Edward, they are coming. You must find her and get her out of here now" Demetri is begging me. Terror is gripping me. Fear not for myself but fear for the safety of something else…..

I again heard Carlisle. He was addressing Esme this time. I couldn't make out the conversation. I begged God to make the visions stop so I could find the strength to explain to my parents what Alice and I were experiencing, to ease their concern.

I am standing at a river alone. I have decided to leave. If I could cry, I would be now. My heart is breaking in two. I have never felt this sort of pain. To leave will surely kill me. But I must, I can refuse her nothing. "Edward," I hear a sweet voice addressing me. I turn towards the sound….

More visions flowed from Alice to me. Most were nothing more than flashes. Nothing discernable was contained within them. Some invoked feelings of anguish, others of absolute happiness. Nothing made sense. And just as quickly as they began, they ended.

"Alice," I whispered as I looked towards my sister.

Esme was sitting at Alice's side. Her arms were wrapped around Alice's shoulder as though trying to comfort her. Carlisle was at my side gripping both my shoulders with each of his hands. Their faces were racked with worry and fear.

"Edward, our lives are going to forever be changed," Alice said.

"I know, Alice," I answered, "I know."

I began describing the visions to Carlisle and Esme.


	3. Destiny

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. Lucky, lucky girl!

Warning: Graphic scenes of violence in this chapter.

* * *

**DPOV**

I had spent the evening in Volterra going about my normal duties, feeding, and desperately trying to avoid Aro, Marcus, and Caius. Luck seemed to be on my side once again. I wondered just how much longer that luck would hold out. The evening over, I was heading home to my family.

My family resided in Monteaperti, about 67 miles east of Volterra. It was a remote village populated by only 472 humans and 2 vampires. Our home, the most grand for miles, was situated in the middle of 54 acres of rolling hills and pastures. It was beautiful, peaceful, and remote.

It had been peaceful in our world, the vampire world, for the last sixteen years. No need arising for the Guard to be deployed, and in effect, no need for me to come into contact with the three leaders of the Volturi. For sixteen years, I had successfully hid my secret from them. I had been foolish in believing that my secret would never come to light.

Lately, there had been whisperings amongst the Guard. Rumors that the Leaders had discovered one of their own had been hiding something from them. My worst fears had finally begun to take shape. I knew it had to be my secret they referred to. Heidi and I had been so careful and foolishly believed we could keep up our pretenses indefinitely, that we would be able to protect the one thing most dear to us.

Heidi and I kept going over the last few months in our minds, trying to locate the exact moment in time that we may have slipped, may have inadvertently revealed our secret to an outsider. We couldn't figure out how the Leaders would have come to know our secret, but we were convinced they did know. Only one person was privy to the secret we kept. Jasper Whitlock. There could be no doubting his loyalty to our family, no doubting the love he held for us. The love he held for our daughter.

Isabella. Our secret and our life.

It had been sixteen years that Isabella had been with us. With her, she brought love, devotion, and joy to our family. She was all that was good in us. She gave us a new life and she completed our family. She was the child we thought we could never have. She blessed our existences.

Isabella was human.

/

Heidi and I had been traveling the world for a time. An extended vacation, if you will. Our travels had eventually led us to Canada. We had heard, during our time in the United States, that there was a small coven located in Vancouver. Knowing the Volturi would want information regarding any organized grouping of our kind, Heidi and I made our way to Vancouver.

We encountered the coven shortly after our arrival. They were a small ravel of only four vampires. Victoria, James, Laurent, and Jasper. To consider them a coven was utter folly. Victoria, James, and Laurent were unorganized, uneducated, and unkempt. They were truly an insult to our race. They lived only for the kill, for the hunt. They showed no signs of loyalty or pride for what we were. Jasper, however, was different.

He had joined the others only out of necessity and loneliness. Heidi and I quickly took a liking to Jasper and began sharing all our knowledge with him. We educated him on our origins, what it meant to be a vampire, and the responsibilities we had as such. He soon decided he would return to Italy with us and make a new life for himself.

The night before the three of us were to make our way back to Italy, we decided to feed. As we were planning an inconspicuous visit to a hospital in Vancouver, James began regaling us with the details of a hunt Victoria, Laurent, and he had partaken in several hours prior. He relayed to us the sufferings they had inflicted on a small family living just outside of Vancouver. His eyes were alight while explaining the forms of torture the family endured at their hands.

They were truly disgusting, loathsome creatures. Yes, I would indeed be informing the Leaders of their existence and lack of regard for our laws. They would surely be dealt with swiftly.

During James' tale of carnage, he explained how they had left one survivor, an infant child. He explained it was his interest to see how long it would take for the babe to starve to death on its own. After his words regarding the child were spoken, I glanced towards my wife.

Heidi's face was contorted with hatred. She looked at me pleading with her eyes to take action. I simply shook my head at her. We could not risk a confrontation on our own. We continued with our own planning. The sooner we put distance between ourselves and these vile creatures, the better.

After Heidi, Jasper, and I left the house, we made our way for the cover of a nearby forest. We stopped when we felt we were at a safe enough distant not to be heard by the others.

"We must do something, Demetri," Heidi pleaded.

Jasper spoke, "I know the family James was referring to. I can lead the way to their home."

"And what then, Jasper?" I interrupted. "Call the authorities? Be accused of the slaughter? Better yet, end the child's suffering ourselves? We cannot become involved in this. Should we risk discovery of our existence for a single human child?"

We were all silent. I believed there was no way for us to help this child without risking ourselves. I wanted as much as Jasper and Heidi to do something, but I saw no option other than to walk away.

As I was about to tell them to keep with our original plans for the evening, Heidi spoke.

"Demetri, if you are willing to abandon a child, leave it there to die, you are no better than those vicious vampires back there," she stated, motioning back the way we had come. "You are no longer the man I love, the man I married.

I sighed. I was defeated. I could refuse her nothing. The things we do for love, indeed.

"Jasper, lead us. We will figure out what to do with the child along the way," I stated, conceding to my wife's wishes.

As we neared the family's home, no closer to a decision as we were before, the stench of blood hit us. It was overwhelming. The smell held no appeal, however. It was dead blood, lifeless blood that had pooled and grown cold after so many hours. We could hear muffled cries coming from the house. The cries were distinctly those of an infant. They sounded weak and exhausted. The three of us made our way to the front door, each of us dreading the horrors we would find inside.

As we made our way across the threshold, we saw a corpse splayed in the center of the room. The body of what appeared to be a child of maybe ten years of age was lying mangled on the floor in a congealed pool of blood. His throat slashed to a depth that nearly decapitated him. Heidi let out an anguished gasp at the sight. I turned towards her to offer comfort.

"Keep your eyes ahead, love. Don't look around. Let's just find the baby and be done with this madness," I whispered to her, while taking her hand in mine.

We followed Jasper down a narrow hall, towards the cries. I found my resolve slipping away as I chanced a glance in one of the bedrooms we passed. What appeared to be a woman of about thirty years of age was tied to a bedpost. Her body was naked. Her torso split open, her insides no longer contained. Her lifeless face still wearing a look of terror.

Finally, we had come to the room where the child's cries were originating. As we opened the door to the room, Heidi let go of my hand and rushed forward. She went immediately to the crib that held the baby. She reached down and gently lifted the child to her bosom. Cradling it and rocking it ever so slightly. The child's cries ceased.

"Jasper," Heidi called with urgency, "go to the kitchen and find food for the child. Quickly."

"What do they eat?" Jasper asked completely perplexed. Maybe it was the emotional turmoil causing a lapse in my sanity at the time, but I couldn't help but to chuckle at Jasper's question and accompanying facial expression.

Heidi shot me a menacing glare clearly telling me with her eyes to shut the hell up.

"Milk. You must put it in a bottle and...," her words trailed off.

"Never mind, I will do it myself," she said exasperated as she shoved past us two, very inept men.

We followed behind her as she entered the kitchen. The kitchen held even more grotesque horrors. What I was certain to be the corpse of the father, was lying on the floor. He had been torn limb from limb. I recalled James' story of leaving the father for last. The father had put up the most resistance in his feeble attempt to protect his family. James felt as though the father should be made to suffer the death of his beloved wife and children before he met his own death. A punishment for his insolence, as James put it. Monstrous.

Heidi was oblivious to the gore that lay practically at her feet. She was on a mission. While cradling the child in one arm, she searched for the items she needed in the kitchen and set about preparing and providing sustenance for the child. As the baby began suckling from the bottle Heidi had placed at its mouth, she turned to address Jasper and I.

"She is coming with us," she stated simply.

"She?" I asked. Heidi nodded in reponse.

I looked into my wife's eyes. There would be no arguing. She had already decided. I couldn't think, couldn't focus with the chaos that surrounded me. I looked towards Jasper and explained that we needed to leave quickly before James decided to come back and see how his 'experiment' was progressing.

We left the house and quickly made our way to a hotel located in downtown Vancouver. Once in the hotel suite, Heidi made a list of supplies. She instructed Jasper to go gather the things we needed to provide for the child. Jasper left with the list in his hand with a look of utter confusion plastered on his face. I suppressed yet another chuckle at his expense.

Heidi and I were alone now, with the baby still nestled peacefully in her arms. As I watched my wife holding, rocking, and speaking words of comfort to the child, emotions I had never felt before ripped through my very being. Suddenly the one thing that we could never share together was within our very grasps. A child. A love like no other was very much obtainable for us in that very moment.

Insanity! This was a human child and we were vampires. This could not be, this could not happen. I would not allow it. It would destroy us and destroy the child.

I waged a silent, internal war with myself; seeing the possibilities at a life with a child to call our own and then quickly denouncing those notions as insane and foolish. My head was reeling. I couldn't think. I couldn't act. What should I do? What would I do? How do I get us out of this unholy mess? That was when Heidi spoke. Not to me, but to the child.

"Sogni d'oro, la mia bella bambina. Ti amo, sempre. Sweet dreams, beautiful little girl, I love you, always." Heidi whispered softly, lovingly, to the sleeping child cradled in her arms.

Heidi then looked up to address me. Longing as I have never seen, shining in her eyes.

"Nessuno prenderà quello che è destinato per te. Demetri. No one can take the one who is destined for you," she said to me. A hint of warning laced her tone.

In that moment, I knew I would be a father to the human girl sleeping in my wife's arms and that our lives would be forever changed.

/

After sixteen short years, the time had come where I would be giving up my beloved daughter. I had always envisioned giving her away. I had prepared myself for the day. Those fanciful visions involved white lace, flowers, and a handsome, undeserving man awaiting her arrival at the end of the isle. Instead, I would now be giving her away as a means to save her life, an action born of fear and desperation instead of one of love and devotion. This, I was certain, I was not prepared for.

I would soon be entrusting the Cullen's with the one thing Heidi and I were willing to die for, the one thing we loved more than each other. It was the only way I knew to keep her safe. Protecting her was my duty, as a father. If giving her up was the only way to protect her, then I would do just that.

"Ti amo, la mia bella bambina, sempre," I said to myself as I pulled the car up to the front door of our home.

* * *

**HPOV**

I heard Demetri's footsteps in the foyer. That sound was heaven for me. That sound meant he had survived another day, that he was returning home to us, and that I had just a little longer with my family.

The last few weeks had been a living hell for me. Never knowing when my greatest fears would come to be realized, never knowing when or where to expect the end. If not for Isabella, if not for knowing that I needed to be strong for her sake, I would surely have gone mad. But I needed to be strong. I needed to keep up the pretenses that life was going on around us as it always had. I needed to protect her from the knowledge that the end was near and that her life would soon, forever be changed.

Demetri was suddenly behind me. The flower arrangement I was working on quickly forgotten as his arms wrapped around my waist, his face nuzzled my neck allowing his lips to graze my skin.

"Mmmm, how I missed you, love," he moaned into my neck.

"Perhaps later you can show me just how much I was missed," I teased him.

"Why wait until later? I could surely demonstrate for you here on the kitchen counter," he said.

"Ah, Demetri, as tempting of an offer as that may be, I would rather not have to deal with replacing yet another piece of furniture. And more importantly, your daughter's home," I informed him.

Demetri spun me around to face him. He wore a beautiful smile on his face.

"Isabella's home?" he questioned excitedly.

Our daughter had spent the last two years in the United States enrolled in a boarding school. It broke our hearts the day she came home and announced her intentions of leaving us. But we knew it was inevitable. She was an extremely intelligent young woman with high hopes for her future and this school was necessary in helping to facilitate that future. We reluctantly complied with her wishes. Mainly because we knew distance from us would be just another measure in protecting her.

Isabella wasn't due home until the following week. The school year was coming to an end. I was surprised when she phoned me from the airport that morning and announced she was home. She had been able to convince her professors to allow her to take her exams a week early. She stated it was her surprise gift for us for our 50th wedding anniversary. I, of course, was elated. My baby girl was home.

"Yes, she's home early. A gift for our anniversary," I informed Demetri.

Demetri could barely contain his excitement. His love for his daughter never ceased to amaze me. He gave into her every whim, spoiled her, and showered her with affection. He could deny her nothing. Sometimes I would watch the two of them together, from afar. The two of them shared a connection like nothing I had ever witnessed before. He doted on her endlessly and she worshiped him as though he were a god. I had heard the phrase 'Daddy's Girl' before and thought I understood the definition of it in relation to humans and their offspring. However, seeing it first hand was utterly mind blowing and rendered me speechless.

"Where?" Demetri asked.

"Where else would she be?" I chided him.

"The stable," we both said in unison, laughing with one another.

Demetri rushed out to the stable to find Isabella and welcome her home. I returned to the flower arrangement in front of me.

I found myself wondering if we were making the right choice in asking Carlisle and Esme to take on the responsibility of our daughter's well-being. That was me, the responsible one in this family. Someone had to be after all. Would they eventually come to love her as we did? What would they be willing to sacrifice for her? Would their sacrifice be enough? Would they help her understand why her father and I chose to give her up? Would the Cullen's, themselves, pose a danger to her? No, I couldn't dwell on these things. I wouldn't. I just had to trust my husband's decision. I had to trust that he would do what was best for Isabella. He would only choose what was safe for her. I just hoped the Cullen's understood what they would be agreeing to.

_If, Heidi, if they agree with our proposition, _I thought to myself. They could very well show up tomorrow and refuse our request. What then? That prospect frightened me more than giving up my child.

Isabella knew what we were, of course. Vampires. She understood the differences between our two kinds. It never seemed to bother her though. It was what she knew, what she had grown up with. She loved us unconditionally and accepted us as her parents.

Even though Isabella loved us and never faulted us for what we were, she had decided long ago that she did not want to become a vampire. She understood what it meant to be human and what she would be giving up if she were to choose to be a vampire. She knew that each moment, each experience she had as a human, was precious because she knew she'd never experience it again in her short human life. She wished for so much more in her life. Love and family, all of the things that came along with being human.

Isabella, while very much human, possessed extraordinary gifts. We could see the potential power in those gifts and knew the outcome for Isabella should the Volturi discover her. Only one thing frightened all of us more than our own deaths-the thought of her being forced to become a vampire.

The Volturi would take all her human hopes and dreams away from her. They would end her human life before she had even begun to live it. As a vampire, her already strong abilities would be that much more powerful. The Volturi would change her. Force her to use her powers against others. No one would ever be able to stand against them with Isabella at their disposal.

I had been considering this possibility for many years, since the moment I realized what our daughter could do.

/

Isabella was four years old. We had just returned home to Italy. We had been living in the United States for the last three years. We were there, at the Volturi's request, to monitor a possible 'situation' in the southern region of the country. We happily took on any assignment that put distance between our family and the Volturi.

Upon returning to our home in Italy, we immediately began planning Isabella's fifth birthday celebration. It was silly I suppose. There were no other children to invite, no friends we could trust to confide in our secret. Only Jasper would attend. But that didn't stop the three of us from planning a party to rival all parties. She deserved nothing less than the best.

Jasper had given her a delicate china tea set for her birthday. Later that evening, after all the festivities were over, Isabella was sitting on the floor in the living room at our feet, playing with her new tea set. As she lifted one of the cups to her mouth, pretending to drink from it, the cup slipped from between her tiny fingers. The cup shattered as it stuck the floor. She began to cry. Jasper attempted to use his powers to calm her but it had no effect. She even complained that Jasper was causing her discomfort. That was when we first began to suspect that she may have the ability to shield herself from our kind's powers.

As Isabella grew older and began forming friendships with classmates and socializing with other humans, we began to notice the profound effect she had on the people around her. She had always been well liked by all, loved deeply by many. Her beauty alone was enough to soften the hardest of hearts.

But there was something different in the way people gravitated towards her. It was as though they were under some kind of spell, intoxicated by her very presence.

I expressed this notion to Demetri. He laughed it off and accused me of reading too much Shakespeare. But I could not contain my suspicions. I went to Isabella and discussed with her why she thought people responded to her in the manner they did. The look on her face was one of guilt and shame. I knew then, that my suspicions were correct.

Isabella explained to me how she had first come to realize that she had some sort of influence over others' feelings towards her. She began recalling a time when she was thirteen years old and had formed a crush on a young boy in her class. I remembered the story all too well. She had spent several weeks in a state of depression because that young boy did not return her affections. He relentlessly teased her and called her names. No amount of cookies or chocolates would console her. Every tear she shed broke my heart. I admitted to having less-than-motherly thoughts towards that wretch of a boy; thoughts involving a bit of bloodletting-not much, just a few drops.

Then one day it had ended just as quickly as it had begun. Isabella came home from school in a joyous mood announcing the boy was now her boyfriend. I asked her what had changed his mind. At that time, she simply stated 'I made him love me.' Then I dismissed it as just something a child would say and didn't press for details but later I understood the full force of her statement.

Isabella compared it loosely to what Jasper could do; manipulating peoples' emotions, but it was more precise and focused only on peoples' feelings towards her. She simply willed it and it happened. She quipped that she felt like a character from A Midsummer's Night Dream; 'Puck run amok with the love drops'. I laughed, recalling how her father had the audacity to accuse me of reading too much Shakespeare.

After this revelation, her father and I began teaching her how to control her powers. We were determined to instill in her, a code of ethic, in regards to her abilities. She soon came to understand that it was in her power to take from people, one of their most basic freedoms, freewill. She learned the differences between using her power against people and using her power to help people.

Demetri and I once discussed the possibility of her having used her power on us years ago in that house of horror we found her in as a baby. We quickly dismissed that notion. No, it wasn't a spell, it wasn't magic, and it wasn't love drops in our eyes. It was simply our destiny.

/

"Mom, is there any mushroom ravioli leftover from last night?" Isabella questioned as she came bounding through the door. He father following closely behind.

"Disgusting! How you can even bring yourself to swallow something called a mushroom is beyond all reasoning, Isabella," Demetri teased her, "And all this time I thought my sense of good taste was rubbing off on you."

Isabella groaned, "Please, dad, let's not even go there. You'll ruin my appetite. Mom, please make him stop." She gave me a sly smile and wink.

"I'll heat some dinner for you, dear. Go upstairs and wash up," I instructed her.

As she turned to head towards her room, I called her back.

"Oh, Isabella, your father and I almost forgot to tell you," I said, "We are expecting company tomorrow."

* * *

FYI – Pics of their home in Italy are on my profile page. The Volturi must pay well. Wonder if their hiring?

Reviewers...Ti amo! Reviews rock my world. Keep 'em coming.


	4. Introductions

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I am just one of her nameless victims.

* * *

**EPOV**

The flight to Italy had been tedious. Not only had I been surrounded by the inane, internal chatterings of the humans around me, but I was also a bit tortured by the smell of their blood, made that much more potent in such a small, confined space. Nothing unmanageable, of course. I'd had decades of practice. I found the needed diversions in my family's thoughts.

Alice had further visions of Italy after the initial bombardment from three days earlier. But they were less frequent and much more manageable. Most of the newer visions concerned her directly.

Carlisle and I had been analyzing her initial premonitions, trying to decipher the details contained in them, and hoping they held a clue as to what Demetri needed from us. The visions, however, were broken and in no discernable order. There always seemed to be a piece missing, a void. We believed, perhaps, the void was centered around another vampire. Each time a vision would begin to lead its subject in the direction of a particular voice, or a promised glance of this vampire, the vision would abruptly end. I had grown extremely frustrated with this fact.

Alice, on the other hand, had grown excited and could barely contain herself. One of her recent premonitions had been of another vampire, a man, which she had been envisioning for years. She, as well as Esme, had all but begun planning this poor, unaware, gentleman's wedding to my sister. The two of them were lost in thoughts of courtship, love, and all the sentimental ideals that accompanied finding 'The One', as they had come to refer to him.

_Poor bastard,_ I chuckled internally.

The Florence - Peretola Airport although crowded, offered some relief from the thirst that had built inside of me during the flight. Our travel preperations had included a much needed hunt before departing Washington but I could read in my family's thoughts that the flight had been just as uncomfortable for them. We would all need to feed again that evening.

As we drove the distance between Florence and Monteaperti, I took in all the breathtaking views of the countryside. It was truly magnificent. The rolling hills, green as far as the eye could see. Emerald peeks meeting the azure of the Tuscan sky. And Sunshine.

Having spent the last three years in Forks, Washington, the Sun was something rarely seen. Like a nomad, showing his face briefly and then disappearing for an indeterminable length of time. Clouds and rain were constant companions in Forks, overpowering and driving the Sun to places unseen. I missed the sunshine. It's brightness, it's warmth on my cold skin, the way it bathed the world in color.

Before long we had arrived at our destination, the Bollai's home. It was a grand villa situated amongst the hills. As the grand home rose up from the green, the faded red of the brick contrasted against the blue sky. In the distant, a small, unassuming, white barn or stable stood out. I knew that structure all too well. Just another of Alice's visions, come to life. I had an overwhelming sense of desire to rush to the building, to uncover the secrets that lay inside, secrets that held my future, the future of my family.

I focused my abilities on the stable, trying to determine what hidden thoughts might lie inside. I heard no one, only emptiness.

We exited the confines of the vehicle and began removing our luggage from the rear. Alice, being Alice, had over packed as usual, this time using the excuse of meeting the 'man of her dreams' and needing to be prepared for the encounter. We avoided pointing out the fact that she always packed in this manner. The staggering amount of luggage this woman brought along resulted in us having to rent a Porshe Cayenne Turbo S. I would have preferred the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider. Alice sometimes chided me for my enthusiasm and appreciation of automobiles. She often commented that my love for cars was a poor substitute for the 'Real Deal', whatever that meant.

We left the bulk of our, well Alice's, luggage at the foot of one of the stairways leading to the entrance of the home. Each of us carried two bags, one in each hand. We began asending the stairs, Alice just ahead of me, Carlisle and Esme in front. We decidely took the stairs at a human speed, so not to frighten or arouse the curiosity of any humans the Bollai's may employee. As we reached the midway point, Alice turned to me.

"Edward, I almost forgot. The red bag," she began as she motioned towards the insurmountable pile of luggage we had just left, "It has my makeup inside and I need to freshen up ASAP. Please be a doll and grab that one for me as well," she begged.

I sighed and began descending the stairs we had just come up. That evil pixie better be glad I love her, I thought to myself. I found comfort in the fact that soon my appointed position as Alice's Personal Assistant would be coming to an end, replaced by that poor sap she was plotting to snag by the balls the first chance she got. I hoped, for his sake, he had some sort of ability to see the future as well. If he did, he would have been running to the farthest reaches of the Earth at that very moment to avoid a future of servitude.

_What's so humorous, Edward?_ Esme inquired of me through her thoughts.

I glanced up to see her looking down at me from her position on the stairs. I realized I had been grinning outwardly as a result of my thoughts. I shrugged, my grin growing even more pronounced.

_Be nice._ She instructed.

I nodded slightly as I took hold of the bag Alice had requested. I, once again, began ascending the stairs just as Carlisle had begun to knock on the door at the top.

After a moment, the door was pulled open from the inside. I was unable to see who stood on the inside, bidding us greetings, but the voice I heard was unmistakable. It had been the voice from Alice's vision. It was the voice that I had found myself yearning to hear, needing desperately to hear, since Alice's first visions. I closed my eyes involuntarily as I relished in the melodic tone of it.

"You're finally here!" the voice announced with great enthusiasm. "I'm Isabella, mom and dad have told me so much about you. Please come in."

Silence.

I opened my eyes to ascertain what had caused my family's momentary lapse of composure. What had caused their thought processes to be scattered for a mere two seconds leaving them physically stunned.

Two seconds was exactly how long it took. Two seconds for the distinct fragrance of human blood to hit me. Two seconds for me to acknowledge the scent emanating from behind the door as being the most desirable scent I had ever experienced in my existence. Two seconds for me to realize the vampire Carlisle and I had imagined, was in fact, a very human girl.

"Hello, Isabella. It's so very nice to meet you," I heard Esme respond.

My family began filing into the house, finally allowing me a vantage point from which to see the girl, to see the vision that had been eluding us, finally materialized.

As if her voice, her scent hadn't been beaconing enough, her overwhelming beauty drew me forward. I had traveled the world, seen all the beauties and wonders it had to offer. But never had I stood before a more perfectly formed creature in all my existence.

The girl before me had a petite frame, perhaps 5'4". Her body flowed and curved as if carved from the finest of marble by a great artist. She wore a white cotton sundress that hugged her form, accentuating those curves. Mahogany hair flowed over her bare shoulders in loose curls, glistening and contrasting against her flawless ivory skin. Her skin begged me to touch, to stroke, to taste. I had unknowingly began to lean towards her.

_Edward!_ Alice's thoughts broke me out of my trance; _you can't eat the hosts' daughter. That would be rude. We'd never be invited anywhere again. Knock it off! _She practically yelled towards me with her thoughts.

I half smiled at Alice as I chanced one last glance of the girl.

She had moved to the side to allow entrance into the house. A look of confusion on her face, in response to my reaction towards her, I assumed. Her eyes locked with mine. Brown eyes framed by delicate thick lashes. Her eyes sparkled; in them I could see wonder, happiness, curiosity. Her eyes were truly the windows to her soul, it seemed. I imagined I could gaze into those eyes for an eternity and never fully come to know all the secrets that lay behind them. Good thing I had exactly that. An eternity.

My family had all entered the house, all still stunned by the recent developments, all wearing looks of concern while staring at me. Carlisle broke the awkward silence and in effect, the trance those eyes held me in.

"Pardon me, Isabella, did you say mom and dad?" I heard Carlisle inquire of the girl. His tone filled with confusion.

"I take it I'm not, um," Isabella paused, apparently trying to find the right words, "Expected?" she finished, glancing at me apologetically.

Carlisle let out a bit of a chuckle at her statement.

"Not exactly," he said. "Your parents have left a lot to the imagination with their invitation. But this," he motioned his hand up and down, drawing attention to Isabella's presence, her magnificent form, "was definitely not something we would have imagined. Perhaps you know something of why they invited us here?"

Isabella gave Carlisle an unsure smile. She seemed confused by his words.

"You are here for the anniversary party tomorrow night, aren't you?" she questioned.

Isabella apparently knew nothing of Demetri and Heidi's plans for my family. I could see it in her eyes.

"Of course," Esme responded quickly, cheerfully. "Please excuse my husband's lapse of memory. It was a long flight after all." She winked and smiled at Isabella.

Isabella returned the smile, seemingly unconvinced. But she didn't press the matter.

"I completely understand. I took the same flight 2 days ago. Absolutely miserable," Isabella informed us.

"Why don't you follow me? I'm sure we would all be more comfortable in the living room," Isabella instructed us as she began to make her way across the foyer towards another room.

My eyes followed her, drifting down her body. The hem of her white dress shifted as she moved gracefully towards her destination. Her beautiful bare legs moved in tandem with the sway of her dress. Again her creamy skin, screaming for my caresses, tempted me to taste. Isabella, my Bella, would surely be sweet against my tongue.

_Edward!_ My family seemed to scream towards me, all in unison.

_Son, are you all right? Can you control your thirst? Should we go hunt immediately? _They questioned me all at once. Ha, if only it was a minor bout of thirst I had to deal with.

Their overt concern was too much for my mind to handle at that moment. Had I been that obvious? I quickly searched for my voice.

"I'm sorry Bell…Isabella," I quickly recovered. "Do you mind telling me where I can put our bags while you show the rest of my family to the living room?"

"I'm sorry, of course. I'm afraid it's not often we have visitors," Isabella explained, addressing all in the room. A small chuckle escaped from her soft, pink lips. I longed to feel the warmth of those lips pressed to mine.

She moved towards me as she began her explanation of our having the entire second floor at our disposal. She had closed the distance between us and reached for Alice's damned red bag. Her hand brushed against mine in the process. In that instant, I flew to the other side of the room with vampire speed before she realized what had happened. Before I, myself had realized what had happened.

"I didn't…I'm sorry…I just wanted to..." Isabella stuttered, trying to find the words. Fear, confusion, concern, remorse all flashed in her sparkling eyes as she attempted to apologize for my own rude behavior. Again with the fucking eyes. I needed to get a grip. What the hell was happening to me? Why was this insignificant human girl affecting me this way?

"Please don't apol...I…I just didn't expect…what I mean is…" I sounded like a babbling fool trying to get the words to come out of my mouth, "Sorry." I ended.

_I'm such an idiot!_ I thought to myself.

Esme had moved to Isabella's side and placed her arm around her shoulders.

"Please, please think nothing of it, dear," Esme said, "It was just a very long flight. I promise, you are in no danger from us," Esme looked towards me and continued, "Edward, why don't you and Carlisle go ahead and take care of the luggage. We girls will just be in the living room getting to know one another."

Esme's arm remained around Isabella's shoulders as the three of them began heading back towards the living room.

Carlisle joined me at my side. _Are you all right, son? _He inquired of me with his thoughts.

"Yes," I responded simply.

_Hunger?_ He asked.

If only it had been that simple of a reason. What do I say to him? There were no words to describe how she made me feel. Hunger, sure. But hunger was the least of my worries. I wanted to touch her, to feel her body against mine, the heat from her washing over me. I wanted to spend an eternity lost in those fucking eyes, feel those exquisite legs wrapped around me, hear that angelic voice call out my name. I wanted to drown in her scent. I wanted to taste every inch of her, her shoulders, her lips, her neck.

I was going insane! I knew what I was. I knew full well what she was. To attempt any of these things would only lead to her death. There would be no way, no force strong enough, to keep me from ending her life, from feasting on her blood. Venom had begun to flow in my mouth at the very thought.

_Edward, answer me,_ Carlisle demanded bringing me out of my fantasy.

"I'll be fine now. Let's just get the bags and I will explain later," I said, trying to buy more time. With Isabella in the other room I was able to gain control of myself.

Carlisle and I had begun the task of relocating Alice's luggage. Having detected no scent of any other humans in the house, we were able to use our normal strength and speed to accomplish the chore quickly. We had placed all the bags in the hall just outside of the bedroom doors. We knew better than to choose rooms of our own before Alice was able to make her selection.

"Let's join the others, shall we?" Carlisle said.

I chuckled, "Yeah I can't wait for the explanation of how exactly Demetri and Heidi happen to be mother and father to a human."

"It's sure to be interesting no doubt of that," Carlisle replied. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine. The flight, the surprise, all of it, I suppose," I half-heartedly explained, "I've got it under control now." I wondered if he was falling for my weak explanations.

"Yes," he said, "Isabella is quite beautiful, isn't she."

I looked at him with my mouth ajar. He burst into laughter.

_Perhaps Demetri and I should work with you on your technique. Teach you the proper way to approach the ladies. _ He teased me with his thoughts while still laughing.

"Very funny," I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. It was the only response I could manage.

I turned from him to start towards the staircase. He followed closely behind, his laughing having faded to snickering. I sighed as I began to make my way down the stairs, towards the living room, towards Bella.

* * *

**BPOV**

I loved my school. I absolutely adored the U.S. But nothing compared to home, the friends I grew up with here, my parents, and my best friend, Ash. The clean air, the peacefulness, the beauty of the Italian countryside, I had missed so much. My family and I had traveled the world but there was never a feeling that compared to the one I would feel upon returning home.

"They should be here anytime now, Ash," I informed the horse standing in the stall in front of me.

Ash had been my fifth birthday present from my parents. The most beautiful pony I had ever seen. We had grown up together. She knew everything about me and I her. When I was away from her, I always felt as though a piece of me were missing. She was the first thing I ran to upon arriving home three days ago and the first thing I had to see the next morning upon waking up.

I had spent my first morning home with Ash. I groomed her, rode her, told her all my secrets, and explained to her the events of daily life at boarding school. I had also been informing her of the visitors that were on the way. The Cullens.

After 16 years, the only vampires I knew were my parents and Jasper. My parents had always sheltered me from their own kind, always explaining the dangers and the laws that governed vampires. I was their secret. One they would protect to the death. So I had always been fearful, yet curious about other vampires. I was just as excited, as I was scared, to meet the Cullens. But their visit also raised many questions in my mind.

Since my arrival home, my mother and father had been acting suspiciously. I knew they were hiding something from me and I was determined to discover what that might be.

I was certain whatever they were hiding involved the strange vampire family they had invited to our home. I knew this was more than an invitation extended to old friends to an anniversary party. There were never secrets in my family so I was certain that whatever my parents were hiding had to be something that could possibly change my life forever.

"Why now, Ash? They haven't seen the Cullens in decades. How can they be certain they won't rat us out to the Volturi? It just doesn't make sense, if you ask me," I confided my worries to her as I lovingly stroked her nuzzle. "How do they even know the Cullens can be trusted not to hurt me, or worse, you? Feeding on innocent animals. Horrible! Don't you worry, girl, I won't let them hurt you," I vowed to her with cooing tones.

There was a bright side looming on the horizon, however. Jasper was set to arrive tomorrow. I was terribly excited to see him. I hadn't seen him in five years. During those five years, we did manage to keep in constant contact. By letter or by phone call, we were always there for one another.

I had known Jasper my entire life. He had always been like a big brother to me. He had lived with us throughout my childhood but left to, as he put it, 'broaden his knowledge of the world'. I knew better. I suspected Jasper had grown lonely, having bared witness to my parents love for one another over the years. I suspected he left in search of the one thing missing from his life – true love.

I often romanticized to him about how a woman, his soul mate, existed out there, somewhere in the world. I would describe to him how I pictured her sitting in a dimly lit pub, just waiting for him to walk through the door. I pictured him crossing the room in her direction, her asking him what took him so long, and him sweeping her off her feet. He just laughed half-heartedly and simply asked if I happened to remember the name of the bar. I guess you could say that I had recently become your average, hormone-driven teenager.

I had begun dating boys from a neighboring school this past year. The combined emotions of excitement and nervousness of a first date was something I had become addicted to. I had never accepted a second invitation from a boy after that first encounter. I restricted myself to the first date alone, never feeling the desire to move beyond what I considered the ultimate experience of the First Kiss, at the end of the night. Nothing compared.

Most of my school friends had already moved into steady relationships with boys. But an extended relationship just didn't interest me at that time in my life. The other girls around me would comment often on my lack of a boyfriend. They could never understand that I wanted nothing more than to simply live in the moment, feel that single human emotion over and over again for as long as I could. They could never understand, that because of who I was, that because of what my parents were, the prospect of experiencing all these human experiences could be ripped from me in a single moment.

The distinct crunch of a car traveling down our gravel drive brought me out of my daydream. The Cullens had arrived.

I quickly closed and secured Ash's stall door. I placed a light kiss on her nose.

"See you tomorrow, girl. Love you." I said to her.

At that moment, a stabbing pain shot through my head. I leaned against the side of Ash's stall waiting for it to subside. It was a familiar pain. One I had experienced a handful of times after convincing Jasper to try out his powers on me. After a few seconds, the pain disappeared.

"Well, Ash, apparently someone in the Cullen family is trying to be nosey," I said, "I really hate when they do that without asking," I added with a halfhearted chuckle.

After regaining my composure, I started out of the barn quickly, headed to the back entrance of the house. I couldn't wait to meet the Cullens and start uncovering whatever it was that my parents were hiding from me.

I entered the house through the kitchen and continued down the hall that led to the foyer, stopping along the way to check my reflection in the mirror hanging in the hall. I quickly ran my fingers through my hair bringing it forward to fall over my shoulders.

_First impressions and all,_ I thought to myself.

"Not bad, Bells," I muttered to myself, using the nickname that had been bestowed upon me by my classmates.

I heard a knock at the door and went to open it. What lay on the other side of the door took me by surprise. Standing in front of me were three of the most beautiful beings I had ever seen in my sixteen short years.

The two vampires in front, obviously the oldest of the grouping, I immediately assumed to be Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. Dr. Cullen was a statuesque man, maybe six feet tall, blonde hair, neatly combed back from his brow. Mrs. Cullen was about my height with chestnut hair that flowed in soft waves to just below her collar. In the background, I guessed, was their daughter, Alice. She appeared to be around the same age as I. She wasn't quite as tall as me, with short, black hair that stuck out in all directions.

They were all very beautiful but the most striking thing about them was their eyes. Their eyes shone golden in the sunlight, a remarkable shade of Topaz. I had been expecting the same crimson as my parents and Jaspers.

"You're finally here!" I exclaimed, perhaps a bit too excitedly, "I'm Isabella, my mom and dad have told me so much about you. Please come in."

I moved to the side to allow them entrance to the home. They made no move to enter however. As I quickly tried to figure out what I may have said or done to cause their hesitation, a fourth vampire appeared behind them all. I immediately knew it must be their son Edward. I caught a glimpse of chaotic bronze hair visible over Alice's head. He was standing a step or two below where Alice stood, which did not allow me a clear view.

Esme was the one to finally break the awkward silence.

"Hello, Isabella. It's so very nice to meet you," Esme stated.

They all wore a look of bewilderment on their faces but eventually managed forced smiles of greeting and began entering through the door. As they passed me, one-by-one, I was finally able to get a view of their son.

He was, to say the least, absolutely breathtaking. I felt my heart jump into my throat at the sight of him. He was taller than Carlisle, with a slender, yet solid build. His messy bronze hair was nothing short of spectacular, falling over his brow in places. The features of his face were strong and angular. And then there were his golden eyes.

_Oh. My. God._ The hormonal teenage in me, took hold of me reasoning.

As soon as his eyes met mine, his facial features contorted and turned into what can only be described as a look of hunger. He glared at me menacingly for the briefest of seconds. Then, just as quickly as his face had turned to one of a monster, his features once again transformed into a look of…I wasn't sure…desire, maybe? Yes, desire. The same look I noticed on the many boys who had tried to woo me at school. I grinned hugely on the inside at the thought of a First Kiss with Edward.

_Are you mad? He's a vampire! What are you suicidal, Bells?_ I yelled to myself.

They had all entered the home. I was closing the door behind them, trying to figure out what I might have said or done to cause their confusion, when Carlisle began to speak.

"Pardon me, Isabella, did you say mom and dad?" he inquired of me.

Wonderful. It appeared my darling parents had left out that small, insignificant detail when they invited the Cullens. I suddenly felt bad for them. This had to be a greater shock to them than it was for me. Well, let's just hope none of them are hungry.

"I take it I'm not, um," I paused, "Expected?"

Carlisle chuckled.

"Not exactly," he said. "Your parents have left a lot to the imagination with their invitation. But this," he motioned his hand up and down, towards me, "was definitely not something we would have imagined. Perhaps you know something of why they invited us here?"

"You are here for the anniversary party tomorrow night, aren't you?" I questioned. I was confused and then I realized I had been correct in thinking my parents had ulterior motives when they had extended an invitation to the Cullens.

"Of course," Esme responded quickly, cheerfully. "Please excuse my husband's lapse of memory. It was a long flight after all." She winked and smiled at me.

"I completely understand. I took the same flight two days ago. Absolutely miserable," I said, trying to find a way to alleviate some of their discomfort.

"Why don't you follow me? I'm sure we would all be more comfortable in the living room," I said, as I motioned for them to follow me.

"Where are my manners? I'm Esme, this is Carlisle, Alice, and Edward," Esme explained as she pointed out each member of her family to me.

"Very nice to meet all of you. My parents are out attending to some last minute party arrangements but should be arriving back shortly," I informed them.

We began making our way towards the living room when I noticed all their attentions had suddenly shifted towards Edward. Understandable, as I was trying to figure out ways to give him some of my own undivided attentions. I would love an opportunity to run my fingers through that hair, touch that gorgeous face, and stare into those golden eyes for an immeasurable length of time.

Damn it, those eyes. I would consider breaking my one-date-only rule just for another chance to be able to gaze into those eyes for a while. I would probably consider breaking many other rules with that boy.

_Ha! You can forget that dream. Definitely NOT a possibility!_ _Vampire, remember? Shit! _I chastised myself, trying to gain control of that hormonal teen once again.

"I'm sorry Bell…Isabella," he finally spoke, his tone strained, "Do you mind telling me where I can put our bags while you show the rest of my family to the living room?"

Great. Just when I thought he couldn't possibly get any sexier, he speaks. His voice was low and quiet. His tone was strained but calming. I could imagine him whispering in my ear with that voice, brushing his sensual lips against my lobe, the feel of his breath washing over me.

_GET A GRIP! _ I yelled to myself.

"I'm sorry, of course. I'm afraid it's not often we have visitors," I quickly explained to them trying to apologize for being a horrible hostess. I suppose I had been rude in not offering to take care of their luggage sooner. But then again, their son did have me quite flustered in my thought processes.

"You all will have the entire second floor of the east wing to yourselves. Please choose any room you'd like," I began explaining the accommodations to them as I closed the distance between Edward and me, "We have a maid that comes to clean three times a week. Gianna. Umm, she's human and doesn't know..."

I reached Edward and had leaned forward to take a red bag from his hand. As I reached forward, my hand lightly brushed against his. In an instant, he disappeared. A light breeze blew against my face. I drew in a deep breath, anticipating my worse fears to come to life in that moment. I began imagining teeth sinking into the skin at my throat. Would it be quick? Would there be pain?

I looked up and saw Edward standing across the room with a look of bewilderment on his face. I exhaled sharply realizing that my life was not about to end. Suddenly, I felt guilty for assuming the worst of our guests.

"I didn't…I'm sorry…I just wanted to..." I stammered.

"Please don't apol...I…I just didn't expect…what I mean is…" Edward blurted out, trying to apologize, "Sorry," he ended with a sigh.

Absolutely breathtaking.

Esme had come to stand beside me. She placed her arm around my shoulders in an attempt to calm and reassure me.

"Please, please think nothing of it, dear," Esme said, "It was just a very long flight. I promise, you are in no danger from us." She sounded as though she were embarrassed by her son's behavior.

"Edward, why don't you and Carlisle go ahead and take care of the luggage. We girls will just be in the living room getting to know one another," Esme instructed Edward.

With Esme's arm still wrapped around my shoulders, I turned and continued leading her and Alice towards the living room, leaving Edward and Carlisle to their task.

_Well, this is definitely going to be interesting_, I said to myself.

* * *

Question: Umm the Sun? Hello! While I love the imaginings of a certain sparkly peen just as much as the next girl, in my story they just don't. It was critical to the story to be able to have Bella and Edward interact during the day, in public, at times. Thus, burned by the sun-Myth. Sparkly peens-Myth (damn it all to hell!). Sorry guys. Forgive?

Reviews keep me going. That, and gallons of coffee.


	5. Gifts

Stephenie Meyer rocks these characters. She so owns Twilight.

* * *

**BPOV**

We had left Edward and Carlisle to tend to the luggage. The three of us entered the living room. I sat on the small sofa and Alice took a seat next to me. Esme sat across from us. The two women were stunning, beautiful. My parents had always told me that all vampires were unusually attractive but I had never seen any other vampires outside of my own family. I was extremely excited about our visitors. To finally meet another group of vampires was thrilling.

The Cullens, on the other hand, seemed apprehensive and a bit confused upon meeting me. I imagined they were very interested in how my parents came to have a human child but they weren't asking. Yet. Unsure of what my parents may have said to them, I thought it best to leave that subject alone until they returned home.

"Okay, I can't take it any longer. I am about to burst," Alice blurted.

I giggled at her outburst. Esme shot her a warning glare. Alice apparently took no notice and continued.

"I'm looking for a man," Alice said.

Esme and I began laughing at her odd declaration.

"Well, join the club. We are a bit short on that commodity here in Monteaperti," I said to Alice through my laughter. I could already tell, we were sure to be great friends.

"Oh, well not just any man," Alice began to explain, "I've seen a vision of a tall man, perhaps six…"

"Wait," I interrupted her, "What do you mean vision?"

Alice began explaining to me about her visions and how they had eventually led her to the Cullen family. Esme also gave me a very brief history lesson on all the other Cullens and how they all had found one another and became a family. I was fascinated with their story.

Eventually, the conversation ended up where we had originally started. Alice's description of a vision of a man she was apparently supposed to meet and fall madly in love with while here in Italy. She began relaying his description to me and my mouth fell open. I knew exactly to whom she was referring. Someone I had grown up with, someone whom I loved beyond all others.

"Alice, you just described my brother Jasper perfectly. I can't believe this," I said astounded.

"You're brother? Is he…you know?" Alice inquired. Her tone sounded disappointed. I took no offense however. I knew what I was and I understood the dangers vampires posed to my kind.

"No, Alice. No worries there. He is all vampire. Just as durable as you," I said with a wink.

We all began to laugh at the intended implications of my statement.

"Well perhaps you would be interested in a trade. I'll give you Edward in exchange for Jasper," she said through her laughter.

_DEAL!_ I thought to myself instantly. Only I wasn't interested in Edward in the brotherly sense.

"Where I am pretty sure Jasper would jump at the offer, I'm not so sure Edward would agree to that exchange, Alice," I stated, recalling his behavior towards me in the foyer.

Edward seemed to be a bit repelled by me. This fact was extremely disconcerting. Lately, I had never had a man I was interested in shy away, or more pointedly, run away from me as he had. As much as I would like to explore the possibilities of a coupling with Edward, I had to resign myself to the fact that vampire men must be turned off instead of turned on by my presence. Bummer.

"I wouldn't bet on that, Isabella," Alice stated with a sly smile.

Well, I would be crazy to bet against a fortuneteller, wouldn't I?

At that moment, Carlisle and Edward had entered the room. Once again, the sight of Edward knocked the wind out of me. He was absolutely beautiful. I found myself envisioning his touch. Cold, but causing my body to alight with a fierce heat. I wanted to explore his body and share my own with him. I had never wanted to kiss someone; to taste them, feel their lips pressed against mine, in the way I wanted to kiss Edward at that very moment. I smiled hugely at the thought, my body already warming at the prospect.

"So when will Jasper be showing up?" Alice asked, bringing me from my daydream.

"Tomorrow afternoon. This is going to be so much fun," I gushed, causing the three of us to burst into another round of laughter.

As Edward and Carlisle took their seats, Alice turned her attentions towards them inquiring about their luggage. Edward addressed her question with a smile.

Again, my heart jumped to my throat. His voice was mesmerizing. Soft, yet strong. Quiet, yet reverberating. My entire body tingled in response. If he can do this to me with just his voice, imagine what he can do with the rest of his….

My thoughts were interrupted at the sound of Edward taking in a large breath of air. I looked towards the sound and saw his eyes were closed, his chest stilled as he held in his breath. I suddenly became very self-conscious, knowing that a vampire's sense of smell was far beyond that of a human. I could only imagine how horrible I must have smelled to him in that moment, having spent the morning in a stable with a horse.

"I'm sorry about the smell. I had been in the stable when you arrived tending to my horse. I must smell like a beast," I quickly tried to explain.

His eyes opened and he stared at me intently. His expression seemed to be one of slight confusion.

"Oh no, please don't take offense. You smell wonderful, really you do. I was simply acclimatizing myself to my surroundings," he explained to me with a small smile.

He quickly turned his head towards Alice as if she had called his name. They stared at one another for a brief moment. It almost appeared as if some sort of silent exchange had happened between them.

The sound of the front door being closed echoed through the room suddenly. My parents had arrived home. They quickly joined us in the living room and began exchanging warm greetings and embraces with the Cullens. Apparently, all of them were overjoyed to be reunited. I longed to hear the history of their friendship. The love they had for one another was apparent.

"So you have all met our Isabella, I see," my dad said.

Dr. Cullen chuckled and smiled at my father. "Yes, we have," Dr. Cullen said, moving his gaze to my direction. He winked and smiled at me.

"Let's see. Extremely charming as well as adorably cute," he said, "Also very human?" The last statement was questioning as he turned his attention back towards my father.

"Yes, Carlisle. Very human indeed. I suppose you have more than just a few questions for Heidi and me," my dad replied.

My parents began explaining to the Cullens had I had come to be their daughter. As they usually did, for my sake, they skipped over the gory details of where they found me as a baby.

My parents were always shielding me from the details of my birth family. They never understood how badly I wanted to know where I had come from, my own origins. I eventually gave up pressing them for information. But that did not diminish my curiosity. I was desperate to know where I had come from, to have some basis for imagining what my life could have been like if Heidi and Demetri had not needed to save me.

I didn't wish for another life. I loved my family with every fiber of my being, but I needed to know my own history, needed the knowledge they held from me so that I could honor and grieve for the family I had lost, in my own way. Did I not at least owe these unknown people that much?

Luckily, I had Jasper. Last year, after much coaxing from me, he finally explained to me the details of my previous life. I cried at first. Realizing how much had been lost to me. A human mother, father, and brother. Quickly, my tears were replaced with anger for the vampires that had taken all that away from me. Jasper apologized and cursed himself for ever telling me.

In that apology, however, I was finally able to recognize and appreciate all that I had in my adoptive family. All the things I had taken for granted in my life were suddenly brought to light. I had my vampire mother and father, and of course Jasper. A mother, a father, and a brother. Nothing had truly been lost to me. I had everything I longed for right in front of me.

My thoughts of my two families were cut short by a dull pain that had formed in my head. I reached up and began rubbing my temples in an attempt to alleviate some of the discomfort. But suddenly a pain like no other ripped through my head. I recognized immediately that the pain was being caused by a vampire in the room focusing some unseen power on me. I attempted to speak and ask that they stop but the pain intensified. I couldn't speak, couldn't concentrate. I closed my eyes and placed my head in my hands, covering my eyes.

The pain was like nothing I had ever experienced. Jasper and I had played around with his powers before but he always held back, never wanting to cause me any real pain or harm. This was different, this was a vampire who didn't know me, who wasn't holding back, who was assaulting me with the full force of their powers in a wasted attempt to find out something.

I could vaguely hear expressed concerns coming from my parents. I could sense bodies moving around the room urgently. My mother was at my side suddenly trying to find out what was happening, to find the source of my pain. I managed to speak finally, finding the words to express what was going on so that whoever was doing this would stop.

"Please, whatever any of you might be trying to do to me right now, can you please stop?" I forced the words through my clinched teeth.

After my words were spoken, I felt another presence leaned at my side. I felt a hand come to the back of my head. The hand began to caress my hair gently as Edward's sweet voice rang out.

Did he just call me Bella? I couldn't be sure. I cursed God on the inside for the fact that Edward was actually touching me but I was in too much pain to even savor the moment.

I heard my mother address Edward but couldn't make out the words. Then Edward's hand left my head and I heard him speak.

"Umm, yes. I was curious. I…I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," he stammered.

Then just as quickly as the pain had taken over, it ended. I removed my head from my hands. They were wet with tears that I hadn't even realized that I had been shedding. I straightened my posture, all pain subsided. I glanced over to see my father now standing in a defensive posture between Edward and me.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" my father asked.

"Sure, sure," I replied, trying to use a sarcastic tone to downplay the situation, "Never better."

My dad turned to Edward, with a look of anger on his face. This couldn't be good.

"Never do that again," he hissed at Edward.

My mother stood to intervene in that moment. "It's alright, Edward. You see, our _Bella_ here, well, she has special gifts of her own," she began explaining to him.

_Bella_? I had heard correctly. Edward had not only touched me but also used a term of endearment towards me? Maybe Alice was onto something.

Everyone moved to take his or her original positions in the room. Edward looked over at me with a look of embarrassment and guilt. I just smiled as sweetly as I could at him and mouthed the words _it's okay_ to him. Hoping to convey to him that I didn't fault him for whatever he had just done to me. He couldn't have known. And frankly, I was rather giddy in the fact that he seemed just as curious about me as I was about him. Could he possibly be as attracted to me as I was to him?

My mother began explaining to the Cullens my ability as a _shield_, as they liked to refer to it. Edward grimaced at her explanation. It seemed to upset him to know that he had hurt me.

_Concern for my well being. Always a good sign_, I thought to myself.

"So what's your gift, Edward? What were you trying to do to me anyway?" I said. I wanted to lighten the mood and try to make him fell more comfortable. I wanted to convey to him that I was okay, that I didn't fault him for what he had done. I also, desperately wanted to know why he felt the need to use whatever gift he may have on me.

He turned his full attention towards me, "I can read people's thoughts. Sorry, I was just curious to know what you were thinking about my family and such. Please forgive me," he said.

Ha, if only he knew the things I had been thinking about him in particular. Thank goodness for my talent. That would have been a monumental embarrassment.

I was trying to process the fact that Edward was interested in my thoughts. H_e reads minds. He was curious to know what I was thinking. Yes, I think I may need to further explore this Edward Cullen. Vampire or not,_ I thought to myself with a grin.

"Wow! That has got to be amazing," I said looking into Edward's golden eyes. We exchanged smiles.

In that instant, I knew I wanted Edward as I had never wanted another in my life. Regardless of what we were, the differences between us, I still wanted him, needed him, and ached for him. Although we had only spent a few short moments in each other's presence, had only exchanged a handful of words, I could feel something developing between us. An unexplained pull drawing me toward him. Stronger than anything I had ever experienced. I resigned myself not to fight it but to give in to it.

I turned towards Alice as something suddenly occurred to me. I wondered if she may have seen me and perhaps saw what type of future, if any, could exist between Edward and myself.

"Wait. Since you knew about Jasper, did you see me in your visions?" I asked her.

"No. It was very strange at first but it makes perfect sense now that we understand your ability to shield," Alice started to explain to me.

She began describing how her visions concerning me would abruptly end just as I was about to be revealed. We also learned something new in regards to my ability from her visions. Perhaps because of the fact that they were not directly aimed at me her visions, or near-visions of me, did not cause me any pain.

"But you saw Jasper and that's all that matters," I beamed after the explanations ended, "I can't wait for you to meet him."

This began us women talking again about Jasper. Alice wanted to know all there was to know about him. I quickly caught my mom up to speed on Alice's visions of Jasper and how we were convinced they were meant for each other.

"Perhaps this would be a good time for the gentlemen to take their leave. Would you two care to join me in the library?" I heard my father ask Edward and Carlisle.

"Absolutely. I don't imagine the women would miss our presence," Carlisle chuckled in reply.

I was immediately depressed at the thought of Edward leaving. I looked at him one last time. He seemed to hesitate as he stood, returning my stare. We smiled once more at each other. Then they left the room.

* * *

**EPOV**

As Carlisle and I made our way downstairs, I could hear laughter coming from the room where the women were. I was easily able to distinguish Bella's laughter from that of Alice's and Esme's. The sound of her laughter was reason enough for my existence. I could spend an eternity basking in that girl's happiness. I closed my eyes and began picturing her smile.

_Edward, are you sure you're alright?_ Carlisle inquired of me through his thoughts.

"For the hundredth time, Dad, I'm fine. I promise," I reassured him.

We entered the room and I froze in place at the doorway, stunned for the briefest of seconds. The smile I had been envisioning was nothing compared to the real thing.

Bella was stationed on a small sofa next to Alice with Esme sitting in a large cushioned chair across a small table from them. The three were smiling and laughing as if they had always known each other. As if they were old friends finally reunited after a long separation.

Bella's smile was absolutely brilliant. Her entire face was alight with joy and amazement at whatever subject my mother and sister had just been discussing with her. Her eyes twinkled above that smile. Her cheeks flushed pink and seemed to glow. A perfect set of teeth shown brightly behind her curving lips. Lips that I realized I had fixed my stare on.

"So how did you boys fare on your own?" giggled Alice, breaking me out of my trance.

"Somehow, we seemed to have managed without you, pixie," I retorted, with a smile of my own.

I entered the room while the women continued with their previous banter. I moved to occupy a seat in a small chair to the left of Bella. As I sat, her scent filled my nose once again. This time it did not evoke a desire for her blood. Instead, I found my body responding to her scent in a much different way, a very human way. A way it had never responded to another being in all my human life or vampire existence. In that moment my nerve endings awoke with desire. Desire to touch this woman, desire to feel the warmth of her naked body pressed against mine, desire to stroke and caress her skin, desire to connect myself with her in the most intimate of ways. I wanted to make love to this woman. Parts of my anatomy began to ache from all my desire.

_Down, boy._ I said to myself. _Last thing you need is this girl's Volturi Guard father showing up and catching you mind-fucking his daughter._

"I'm sorry about the smell. I had been in the stable when you arrived, tending to my horse. I must smell like a beast," Bella's voice broke me out of me fantasy, seeming to have noticed and misinterpreted, my obvious intake of air.

I opened my eyes, not realizing that I had even closed them.

"Oh no, please don't take offense. You smell wonderful, really you do," I began apologizing quickly, not wanting her to be offended. "I was simply acclimatizing myself to my surroundings." I gave her a small smile of reassurance.

_She smells wonderful, huh?_ Alice quipped with her thoughts. _Could you be anymore obvious, Edward?_

I smirked at Alice. She just returned a huge grin.

_Maybe, she's the one. The one to finally knock you on your ass_, Alice thought to me.

Just as I was about to let out a sigh of irritation, a car could be heard nearing the house. After a moment a car door was closed and I could distinguish two sets of footsteps making their way up the stairs towards the entrance of the home.

The sound of the car reminded me of our arrival just a short time ago. How I had spotted the stable and had tried to scan it for any thoughts. At the time, I assumed there had been no one. Yet, Bella just informed us she had been in the stable.

"That must be my parents," Bella exclaimed excitedly, interrupting my thoughts with the sweet melody of her voice.

We all rose from our seats as Demetri and Heidi entered the room. Demetri suddenly appeared in front of Carlisle. The two men embarrassed.

"Thank you," Demetri simply stated to my father in a soft whispered tone.

Heidi had entered the room. She seemed hesitant. There was sadness in her eyes and a false smile on her face. She moved towards Esme and embraced her. I scanned her thoughts in search of a clue as to why my family had been called to Italy. _I can do this, I must do this_, was all I could hear, repeated over and over in her thoughts.

"Yes, thank you so much for coming. It means the world to us," Heidi announced as she turned to face Alice and I.

Demetri released Carlisle and turned to address us as well.

"Yes, thanks to all of you," Demetri said. "Edward, I am so happy to see you again. It's been much too long since the last time we saw each other."

Demetri moved to me and firmly grasped my hand and shook it as Heidi had moved to my side and put her arms around me in a hug.

"Edward, handsome as ever. We have missed you terribly," Heidi said.

The couple turned towards Alice.

"So this must be the newest member of the family. You, dear, are truly a beauty," Heidi gushed towards my sister, "Carlisle has told us all about you. I am so happy to finally meet you."

"I'm very happy to finally meet you guys as well," Alice replied with a childish grin on her face.

Everyone made their rounds in the now crowded room, embracing and greeting each other. Heidi had seemed to relax, although the heavy sadness was still there in her eyes. Yes, there was much more to this reunion than simply the celebration of an anniversary.

After the greetings ended, we all settled into our seats.

"So you have all met our Isabella, I see," Demetri began.

Carlisle let out a small chuckle in response. "Yes, we have," Carlisle said as looking towards Bella. He winked at her and smiled. "Let's see. Extremely charming as well as adorably cute. Also very human," Carlisle continued, the last statement coming out as more of a question.

"Yes, Carlisle. Very human indeed. I suppose you have more than just a few questions for Heidi and I," Demetri replied.

Demetri and Heidi took turns as they began explaining the circumstances that led to them 'adopting' Bella. The rest of my family asked questions, curious of the family dynamic in such an unusual arrangement. As they spoke, my eyes constantly wandered to Bella.

She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts as the others discussed her life. At times she appeared wistful, with the smallest of smiles playing across her lips. At other times, her brow furrowed as though she were in deep concentration. I was mesmerized by her face as a hundred different emotions played across her features. I found myself longing to know what thoughts were in her mind at that moment. I decided a small peek wouldn't hurt.

In the very moment that I began to reach out with my mind, to explore her thoughts, her face contorted as if she were in sudden pain. She immediately brought her hands up to her head and began rubbing her temples.

Worried by the grimace on her face, I began trying to search deeper into her thoughts. I was overcome by the sudden urge to take away her pain, to know what was causing her discomfort. Again, as with the barn earlier, I heard nothing. There were no thoughts coming from Bella's spot on the sofa. It was as if she didn't exist. That was unacceptable. I continued my search, desperately needing to find her, to comfort her, to know her.

Bella let out an audible groan as she placed her head into her hands. All conversation around us immediately ceased as all eyes turned towards Bella.

"Isabella?" Heidi inquired anxiously, immediately standing and rushing to her daughter's side.

"Please, whatever any of you might be trying to do to me right now, can you please stop?" Bella struggled through the words. The request made little sense to me. I became frantic to know what was happening, to help her, to protect her. I probed harder.

_Damn it, where is she?_ I thought to myself. I was growing more and more frustrated with my inability to know her thoughts.

Then it happened. A lone tear slid over the top of one of the hands she had held to her eyes. With that, I realized she was crying. My heart broke for her. I needed to hold her in my arms at that very moment, hold her tightly to my body, ease her suffering, and protect her from the world. And never let go. Before I even realized what I had done, I found myself kneeling at Bella's side caressing the back of her hair. "Bella, are you alright?" I asked quietly, desperate to hear her voice.

"Edward," Heidi spoke calmly as she slowly reached for my hand that was now stroking her daughter's hair. She placed her hand on mine and began moving it away from where it so desperately needed to be. "Are you trying to use your power on Isabella right now?"

Her question confused me, embarrassed me. I saw Demetri from the corner of my eye as he tensed. I glanced up to gauge the demeanor of everyone in the room. My family all looked confused and concerned. Demetri, however, wore a look of fierceness, of protectiveness. The look brought to mind a past hunt when I had tracked a mountain lion. Once I located her, I found the lioness crouched ready to attack, should I approach the small cub that lay helpless at her hind legs. She had been willing to defend the cub even if it meant her death. I left them unharmed.

"Umm, yes. I was curious. I…I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," I began to apologize. As soon as I ceased trying to probe Bella's mind her head snapped up from its resting place in her hands. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen from the silent tears she had been shedding.

I began to rise from the position I had taken at Bella's side just as Demetri had come to move between us. He laid his hand atop her head.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" he asked of his daughter.

"Sure, sure," she replied nonchalantly, waving him off. "Never better."

Demetri swiftly turned to face me, obviously angry. "Never do that again," he warned me through clinched teeth.

Heidi stood to intervene and explain.

"It's alright, Edward. You see, our _Bella_ here," she said, "well, she has special gifts of her own." Heidi emphasized the name I had just used endearingly when addressing their daughter.

I sat back down in my chair as I attempted to absorb what had happened. Demetri relaxed and moved back to his former position next to Carlisle. My family began seating themselves once again. I looked over towards Bella, apologetically. Trying to convey with my eyes how truly sorry I was for what had just happened.

She smiled at me and mouthed the words letting me know it was okay. Forgiven.

Heidi began explaining Bella's ability to shield but how that power caused her discomfort. Another piece of my heart split in the knowledge that, in my search to find and destroy whatever had been hurting Bella, it had been myself causing her pain.

Bella interrupted, "So what's your gift, Edward? What were you trying to do to me anyway?"

She, amazingly, had a look of excitement on her face and seemed eager to know what I could do. I began to explain how I had the ability to read thoughts.

"Wow! That has got to be amazing," she declared, smiling at me.

She turned towards Alice. "Wait. Since you knew about Jasper, did you see me in your visions?"

Alice laughed. Since our arrival, we had all been slowly piecing together the puzzle that was Alice's visions concerning our trip here. The knowledge of Bella's talent in blocking out nosey vampires had been the final piece to that puzzle. Alice explained to Bella that she had never actually seen her, but knew there was another presence in her visions.

"But you saw Jasper and that's all that matters," Bella exclaimed happily, "I can't wait for you to meet him."

_Jasper? Who the hell was Jasper?_ I asked myself. I frantically tried to figure out what bit of information I must have missed while dealing with the luggage.

_Boyfriend must be. Too late. Bella is already in love. _ I thought to myself, defeated.

"What is this about Jasper?" Heidi inquired of Esme.

Esme began recalling one of Alice's visions, explaining to Heidi that Alice had seen a man here in Italy and they were to fall in love. She stated how, before Demetri and Heidi had arrived home, Bella had explained how it had to be Jasper based on Alice's description of this man.

_Not a boyfriend. Still in the game Cullen,_ I thought with a smile on my face.

I began fantasizing of various ways I could possibly woo Bella. Flowers? Candy, maybe? I was mentally kicking myself for not paying more attention to Alice's daydreams of love as I realized that I had no clue how to approach a girl.

_What the hell am I doing? She's human. I'm a vampire._ I told myself once again. This was an impossibility. _W__e_ were an impossibility.

Heidi and Esme were now gushing along with Alice and Bella over this Jasper person. I glanced towards Carlisle and Demetri.

"Perhaps this would be a good time for the gentlemen to take their leave. Would you two care to join me in the library?" Demetri asked Carlisle and me.

"Absolutely. I don't imagine the women would miss our presence," Carlisle laughed.

_True. But I will most definitely miss hers,_ I thought.


	6. Explanations

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

* * *

**EPOV**

"Alright, Demetri," Carlisle began as we entered the library. "Is Isabella what we came here for?"

Demetri tensed at the question. He moved to the window and began gazing towards what laid on the other side. But I could hear that his thoughts were somewhere else. With his family, Bella and Heidi, the love he had for them both. His emotions towards them were overpowering. The feelings were too much for my own senses to process. I decided to leave his thoughts alone. I would be an insensitive bastard if I continued prying into his most intimate of thoughts.

An immediate, obvious sadness appeared to have washed over him. "Yes," Demetri simply replied.

Carlisle and I moved to take our seats in two chairs that flanked a large bookcase.

I had suspected Bella was the reason Demetri had called us to Italy since the moment we had arrived. Demetri and Heidi had revealed themselves to a human, going against our most basic of laws. The punishment would be death for Bella and who knew what for Demetri and Heidi. Perhaps they would be allowed to continue on living. That in its self would be a fate worse than death. Living on, continuing, with the memories of a lost child. For a human parent, this would be unbearable. But humans always had the choice to end their suffering, to end their lives.

For a vampire, it would be sure torture leading to eventual madness. Emotions and feelings experienced by a human are magnified a thousand times over when experienced by a vampire. No other being can feel, love, or commit themselves in the way that a vampire can. Once we choose to commit, to love something, to love another beyond our own selves, we can never go back. That person becomes a part of who we are, our reason for existing. Once we discovered the one we were destined to love and devote ourselves to for an eternity, there was no going back, no changing our minds, no forgetting them once they were taken away.

Esme always told Alice and I that she believed the sole reason a vampire was created to be unbreakable was so that the power of the emotions we experienced, once we found our mates, our one true love, would not crush us. But what happens when one of the pair is a human? Surely, a human could never endure the power of a vampire's love. Humans were too fragile, too weak. Humans break.

Occasionally, a vampire and human would fall in love in our world. It was not uncommon for those of us who chose to live amongst them and interact with them, to fall in love with one of them along the way. To desire a human above all others, I suppose, made sense. They represented all that we had lost when we became vampires. We relied on and needed them to sustain us. Humans were full of life and they could give life. They were warm, soft. Even the Volturi treasured and protected the humans that were closest to them, forbidding us from killing within their city walls.

But loving a vampire, for a human, meant death in one fashion or another. Though it was a common pairing, there had never been an instance where the human half had survived. There were only two outcomes to be had; become a vampire or die. The fact that Bella had survived this long as Demetri and Heidi's daughter was nothing short of miraculous.

Sadness overcame me with that last thought. From the moment I had first laid eyes on Bella, I was changed. Love occurred in a single instant like that for us vampires. I realized that I was already committed to loving no other but her for the remainder of my existence. I wanted her in every way that a man wants a woman. But she was human and in that fact, I knew that by loving her, I would destroy her.

"I still don't understand, Demetri. You say the Volturi will make her one of their own. Use her as a weapon should she be discovered. Quite frankly, her ability to shield, though rare, isn't enough on its own to cause the Volturi to ignore their own decree of death," Carlisle said, breaking through my thoughts.

Demetri turned from the window to face us again. A small smile played at his mouth. He moved to sit at the large desk in the center of the room.

"Isabella has another gift. One that would grant the Volturi limitless power should it fall into their hands. A power that they could use to remove our freewill, bend any vampire to do anything the Volturi commanded," Demetri informed us.

Demetri began explaining Bella's other gift to Carlisle and me. I sat stunned as I listened to him describe her abilities to force people to care for her, to love her. The power of manipulation.

She had made me into a lovesick fool. My world seemed to come crashing down around me as realization set in that the feelings I had towards her were nothing more than a ruse. There was no other explanation. I had fallen for her too quickly, wanted her too badly. She had taken away my choice to refuse her, to deny her. And I would surely have denied her, if I had been able to choose to do so. Wouldn't I have?

Anger began building inside of me as I convinced myself that Bella had inflicted her power upon me. I was not the daydreamer that Alice was. I had never given in to the notion of love. I was the practical one. The thoughts I had been having towards Bella…

_No, not __**Bella**__, her name is __**Isabella**__,_ I mentally corrected myself.

The thoughts I had been having towards _Isabella _since our arrival were not my own. I had unwilling played her game. I had no choice in the matter. She removed my ability to choose my own course. She may have looked like an angel on the outside but apparently she was a ruthless demon. Sent here to be my undoing, to complicate my stable existence. I would fight back. I would not fall for her trickery.

"Yes, I can see how, with her gifts, she would be a force to be reckoned with," Carlisle stated, "But how can my family help?"

"Heidi and I want your family to take her in. Protect her, raise her in our stead. Make her one of your own family, make her your daughter," Demetri stated. His request of my family was now known.

Demetri began explaining his hopes that Isabella could become part of the Cullen family. How he and his wife had debated and argued over what should become of her, how to continue hiding and protecting her once they were gone. They were resigned in their own death. They were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect their daughter. They wanted her to be hidden well away before they met their own demise so that in their death, the secret of where Isabella was would be lost with them.

Their reasoning for deciding upon my family was obvious. We posed no harm to her as vampires. We were very good at our chosen lifestyle. None of us, in the long years of our existences, had ever killed a human. We replaced that most basic desire with love and devotion for one another. In each other, we found the strength needed to abstain, to commit ourselves to our convictions. We were truly a family; we loved one another, were willing to sacrifice ourselves for each other without hesitation.

We distinguished ourselves in this way from other covens of vampires. Groupings of our kind only formed out of necessity. It was a means to accomplishing a goal - that goal being to end human life. These covens rarely displayed loyalty or devotion amongst themselves. Only a mate deserved those things, the rest be damned should things go wrong.

"There is only one flaw in your logic, Demetri," Carlisle began again, "Someone else knows outside of your family. Someone reported this to the Volturi. Who?"

"I believe I know. But you must never speak of what I am about to say to Heidi. She is clueless as to who it could be. If she knew of my suspicions, she would surely never release Isabella to anyone else. She fears this perpetrator too much. She has seen first-hand what he is capable of, the slaughter he has committed. She must never know, do you understand?" Demetri said to us. The warning rang clear in his last words.

"You have our word on it, brother," Carlisle vowed.

"James," Demetri whispered.

"The one who killed Isabella's human family? But why would he care? Why wait so long for action?" Carlisle questioned.

"It's the only other person who knows of her existence. He must have determined long ago what we did, that we took the child. He is a tracker. He surely would have come upon our scents when he went back to that house to check on the baby's progress. Why he has waited sixteen years to take action is anyone's guess. But I am certain it is him," Demetri explained.

"A tracker. Which means he will have to ability to find her again. To discover her embedded, hidden within my own family. Demetri, how can I consider your proposition knowing this?" Carlisle said.

"Do not concern yourself with James. I have a plan to remove James from the equation before Heidi and my time comes to an end. I will leave it at that," Demetri stated.

A menacing look came over Demetri's face. His eye darkened infinitesimally. In an instant, he went from loving father to cold, calculated killer. From that one look, I deduced James would not be walking this earth much longer.

"Demetri, I am just not sure that we can commit to this. Even if you promise James will not be a threat. How can we properly care for Bella, I mean Isabella? A human child? You give my family far too much credit. Ours is a constant struggle against what we are, what we were designed to do. To be intimately exposed to a human day in and day out with no reprieve, I'm not sure if we are capable of what you are asking. How can we possibly not cause her some sort of harm? " Carlisle desperately questioned.

Demetri's expression softened once again. He turned from Carlisle and looked towards me. His face brightened at the sight of me. It was as if he had forgotten I was there and then suddenly remembered my presence in the room upon lying eyes on me.

"Love," Demetri replied with that one simple word. His eyes locked with my own and a silent understanding passed between the two of us in that instant.

"I can't. It's not a possibility. It's nothing more than her powers used against me," I whispered to Demetri, barely able to form the words. I was trying to convince myself of my words' validity.

Demetri replied with nothing more than a smile.

Carlisle quickly turned towards me and nodded his head slightly. "My family will discuss this and let you know our decision," he said to Demetri.

The two of them went on to discuss Isabella's impending birthday celebration in two weeks. Carlisle stated Demetri would have our decision by then.

_Love? What the hell was that statement about? _I thought. _I don't love this woman. In fact, I believe I could possibly loathe her, right now._

I began arguing with myself internally. Surely, her own father could see it was a trick. He would have to know his _precious_ daughter had forced these feelings upon me. No, I didn't love her and I would prove that to him. To myself.

I would resist her. I had to resist her. I did not want this, this promise of love.

Did I?

* * *

**BPOV**

I watched as the men made their exit. I watched Edward walk away. I watched Edward turn and smile at me. I watched Edward leave the room.

Edward. Edward. Edward.

My mind was reeling from our very first encounter. So few words spoken between us, but the attraction, draw, emotions were just so _present_. I was in a dream state. My mind wasn't able to form a coherent thought due to his proximity. Now with us safely divided by walls, I could give thought to our encounter. Try to gain an understanding of what I was feeling. These foreign emotions, reactions towards him were nothing I had ever experienced, nothing I had ever expected I was capable of.

_If I were to use my special gift on others, is this how it would feel to them? _I contemplated for a brief moment.

Jasper often accused me of 'dazzling' people whenever he suspected I had gained my way too easily by utilizing my power. Truth be known, I was terrified of my ability. Once I understood the destructive nature, the absolute power of my gift, I never used it, afraid of the consequences. Why would anyone? To never know another's true feelings towards you, to only know what you had willed them to feel. I wanted to experience true emotions, true reactions from those around me.

I wanted to know what it felt like to be rejected, to not be loved by some, to experience heartbreak. I wanted to know the power of true love when it happened for me. Only by experiencing pain and loss, can you fully appreciate happiness and love when it comes into your life.

Esme, Alice, Mom and I chatted amongst us, becoming more acquainted with each other. I was fascinated by the Cullen family's way of life. Their convictions astounded me. To be vampires and go against your very being as they were doing, was a testament to their goodness. They were an amazing family. I grew up thinking my own family knew no equal but the Cullens put us to shame.

"So, Isabella," Alice interrupted my thoughts in regards to her family, "What do you think of Edward?"

"Alice!" Esme exclaimed. "Isabella please pay no mind to my nosey daughter."

I glanced at my mother. She gave me an apprehensive smile. She wanted better for me, better than a vampire. She thought so little of her own kind, I suppose. She made do with the hand she had been dealt but since my addition to her family, she seemed to have come to hate what she was. She seemed to always feel as though she weren't a good enough mother for me, that she hadn't provided a family I was worthy of. I could never make her understand that there was no other family out there for me, that I felt truly blessed to call her my mother. My love for her knew no equal. In my mind, my mother was the woman I hoped to become, the kind of mother I wished to be, my best friend and confidante, my mentor and my inspiration. She was everything to me.

"Isabella?" Alice called, to draw my attention back to the subject, "He damn sure seems to like you and I can't even begin to tell you how un-Edward-like that is."

We all began giggling once again. I was so comfortable with these women. It was a complete surprise that I would so immediately be comfortable in the presence of other vampires. I had been raised to fear other vampires outside of my own little bubble. I found myself so drawn to this family. I wanted nothing more than to spend time with them, get to know them, find my own niche within their family.

"Isabella, just so you know, Edward is single," Esme stated. Alice and I gaped at her.

"Justthought you should know is all. I'm not trying to be nosey," Esme said. She shot a wicked little smile my way and winked.

"So it's okay for you to meddle but not me?" Alice questioned her, trying to contain her laughter.

Once again, we burst into another round of laughter. Yes, I already loved these two women.

I decided to go ahead and put it all out there. I needed advice. Who better than his sister and mother to learn more about this godlike man? "Well, he's definitely very nice to look at," I stated.

"I knew it!" Alice exclaimed.

"I admit it. You figured it out. I am very attracted to your brother," I confessed to Alice, "But you guys probably deal with love truck girls showing up on your doorstep daily, and nightly, with him in the house."

I started giggling but quickly realized Esme and Alice were not joining in my amusement.

"Edward's rather um…how can I put this? Intense?" Esme began explaining to me, in a serious tone.

"He's a stuck up ass," Alice interrupted.

Esme shot a glare at Alice. Telling her with her eyes to watch her mouth. I knew that motherly look all too well. Esme turned her eyes back to me and spoke.

"I love my son more than myself, Isabella. I have always worried about him, the fact that he has always seemed so alone even amongst those who love him the most. He's always searching for more, for a meaning, for a reason for his own existence. He loathes who he is, what he is. He doesn't see the gift that I see when I look at him. I wish for love to come into his life. True love, I believe, would fill the void within him, give him the meaning he is so desperately searching for. Give him the assurance of his worth, of his place in this world. He is destined to love and be loved. If only I could convince him of that fact."

The three of us were silent after that. Thinking, contemplating. Could I do all that for this mysterious man that had just entered my life? Could I complete his being, be his soul mate? Was I capable of being someone's reason for existing? Could he return my affections? More importantly, could a human and a vampire share themselves in this way? There were so many things to consider.

As I was going over the possibilities in my mind, the men appeared in the doorway. My father and Carlisle took their original places in the living room. Edward, however, opted to remain standing on the opposite side of the room, as far away from me as possible. He kept his eyes cast downward, denying me a chance to gaze into his golden eyes. His demeanor had changed drastically. He seemed tense, stoic. His expression was one of irritation. Very strange.

"So what have you women been laughing and joking about in here while we were out?" Demetri asked.

"Oh, nothing much. Just contemplating the differences between humans and vampires," Alice stated. She turned and shot me an amazing smile. I couldn't help but respond to her with my own guilty smile.

My mother rose from her seat and sat beside my father. She whispered in his ear something that I did not catch. His reply was a simple nod to whatever question she had posed to him.

"So, Isabella, I am extremely curious. Have you ever given any thought to being changed, of becoming one of us eventually? Life may be less complicated that way, you know," asks Alice of me, with a devilish grin.

My mother and father were interrupted from their private conversation, by Alice's question. They smiled at me. From the corner of my eye, I caught Edward's head rise slightly from its downward position. The question seemed to have piqued his curiosity.

Better make my response an impressive one.

"I have thought about it. I don't want my life to go down that path. That isn't to say I think less of vampires. I look around at the people in this very room, especially my parents, and know that vampires are like humans in that we are all just doing the best with what we were handed. Trying to find our places in this world. The most important, most wonderful people in my life are all vampires. No human could ever compare," I begin.

I glanced at Edward with that statement. His eyes looked so sad. I wanted nothing more than to see joy and happiness in those beautiful topaz eyes of his. He gave me a half smile that did not reach his eyes. I broke my gaze and continued addressing everyone else in the room. It was so easy to forget about them when I looked at Edward.

I continued, "No, my reasons for not wanting to become a vampire are more selfish than that, I'm afraid. I simply want it all, everything that comes with being a human. I want to feel all the human emotions that go along with your first kiss, your first love. I want to be able to cry, to hurt, to feel loss just so the next time I feel happiness and love, they are made that much more special. I want to make love to a man, or maybe a few. I want…"

"This is going down a road I would rather not journey," my father interrupted as he began fidgeting nervously in his chair.

Laughter erupted in the room. I glanced again towards Edward. He was not joining in the laughter. He had once again diverted his gaze back to the floor.

"Sorry, Dad. But lust is a part of life for humans - as well as for vampires, I might add," I replied.

"Anyway my point is that human experiences and human emotions are something that once gone, can never be replaced. I would rather have a short human life of extraordinary than an eternity of nothing special." I ended my speech with that statement.

Silence. Everyone in the room appeared deep in thought over my words. Looks of sadness appeared on all their faces. I began to think perhaps I had confused them, not made my point.

"Maybe I'm not explaining it right. I hope I didn't offend anyone," I tried to explain.

"No, Bella, we all understand completely. I believe I can speak for everyone in this room, that if given a choice, we would all choose as you have done," Carlisle stated with a quiet, sad tone.

Trying to lighten the mood, I blurted, "Speaking of making mad passionate love with a man…I have to get ready for a date."

My father groaned and everyone began another round of laughter. Everyone save for Edward.

Edward's head snapped up at my declaration. His mouth gaped. I did a mental cartwheel. Oh yes, I definitely loved a jealous man. There was no better form of flattery, in my opinion. You can keep your flowers and chocolate. Give me a man that is ready to compete with another any day of the week.

"Just joking, Dad. It's just my date with Jacob to the charity gala tonight. I promised I would go with him since he couldn't manage a _real_ date on such short notice," I explained, trying to ease my father's apparent suffering at the thought of his little girl being savagely molested by a man and vehemently denying to himself that I may actually want to be a willing participant to any molesting that might happen.

"Not funny, Isabella," my mother sweetly warned me.

My father leaned once again towards my mother and whispered something to her that I could not hear. Apparently, the other vampires in our grouping heard him all too well as they began to laugh. Even Edward managed a small chuckle of his own.

"So is anyone going to share the joke with me?" I asked.

"It's nothing, Isabella. Your father is just wondering if I have been keeping up with my end of the bargain is all. Making sure I have had the 'Talk' with you," my mother explained.

I took another glance at Edward. That time his eyes moved to meet my own. His posture immediately stiffened once again. His expression turned from one of irritation, but to one of anger. As his glare grew heated, I became frightened. I imagined this to be the look of a truly deadly vampire. A vampire that would not hesitate to end any and all human life as the opportunity presented itself. I let out a small gasp at the look of rage he was directing towards me.

What had I said? What had I done? I quickly reviewed the recent conversation in my head. Did I play my jealousy card too soon? Perhaps, but I had quickly dismissed it as just a date with an acquaintance of mine, just a friend. What was his problem?

I had been convinced, especially after the conversation with Esme and Alice, that he was as interested in me as I was him. What kind of game was he playing? How dare he lead me on like he did? I quickly replaced my fear with anger at the thought that he was just like every other boy I had ever met. No more special than Jacob or any other boy that had come before him. _Wow, what a pushover I am_. I returned his hateful glare.

_Two can play at this game, asshole. _


	7. Forbidden

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

* * *

**EPOV**

Demetri pleaded with his wife, "Heidi, you must! You haven't fed in over a week."

Isabella had left the room to go get ready for her date, leaving me behind to struggle with all the emotions I was feeling towards her. Emotions that, I was certain, were not my own. I had decided that I would confront her as soon as the opportunity presented itself. I would make her stop this ridiculous game of hers. Convince her that her efforts were being wasted on someone who would never return her affections willingly.

I knew how to discourage the most persistent of admirers. I had been doing it for decades. Isabella was no different than any of the other silly women that had tried to secure my attention.

"No, Demetri. I refuse to leave Isabella alone, unprotected," Heidi explained.

"Perhaps shifts then?" Carlisle asked. He then began to explain, "There are more than enough of us to work out a schedule of sorts. Since my family has all fed recently, one of us would be more than willing to stay with Isabella while Heidi goes to feed."

All the vampires began agreeing with Carlisle and planning a feasible arrangement for all as I sat silently listening on. This was my opportunity to be alone with Bella and confront her without the interference of an overprotective father.

"I'll stay," I offered nonchalantly.

All conversation ended abruptly at my words. All eyes were focused on me.

_Edward, are you sure that's such a good idea?_ Esme questioned me with her thoughts. I gave her a slight nod of my head.

_I believe perhaps you should go feed first, son. Considering…_ Carlisle spoke. I gave him a slight frown.

_Hmm. I suppose I could stall our return, Edward. How long do you think you will need to profess your love and devotion to her?_ Alice teased me, giving me a smile and wink. I rolled my eyes at her.

_I want nothing more than to trust you, Edward. I __**must**__ trust you. I __**will**__ trust you. Please protect her at all costs,_ Demetri pleaded with me. I stood to face him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"At all costs," I replied simply to his unspoken request.

"Heidi, she will be safe. Come, my love. You must feed," Demetri turned to Heidi as he spoke, his eyes begging her.

Heidi let out a defeated sigh.

"Please leave Edward and myself alone for a moment." Heidi requested of everyone in the room.

"We will all be outside in the westernmost pasture to give you two some privacy," Demetri informed her.

As everyone began leaving the room, Heidi took a seat next to me and took my hand into hers. I blocked out all her thoughts. Who was I to intrude on her personal thoughts concerning her most beloved treasure, her daughter? Her face was racked with pain and fear. I was convinced that if she could shed tears, she would be in that moment.

"She's better than us," Heidi said at last. Her face was downcast, staring at our joined hands.

"What you are obviously feeling towards my daughter, Edward," she paused, looked up and locked eyes with me, "It cannot be. You must not pursue this. Do you understand?"

"Heidi, I do understand. I know the consequences. She will be no more than a sister to me," I informed her with as much conviction in my voice as I could muster.

Heidi sat for what seemed like ages looking into my eyes, as if she were searching my soul, searching for the truth in my words. Eventually, she raised a hand to cup my cheek.

Her thumb began stroking my cheek. A small, sad, defeated smile appeared on her mouth.

"You love her," Heidi stated simply.

I immediately stood and fled to the other side of the room at her accusation. _No, no, no_. I did not love her. I would not love her.

"Edward, I am not requesting that you forget your feelings towards Isabella. I understand what it is to love another. I know there is no denying those intense emotions. But I also know that with love comes a responsibility. We must always do what is best for the ones we love, even if that means walking away and denying ourselves that which we want the most. That is exactly what Demetri and I are doing for her. You must do the same. Give her up, deny yourself. Please, Edward, you know what it would mean for her, for her future, if you selfishly took her like that," Heidi explained as she moved to face me. She was becoming frantic, her voice becoming louder as she spoke.

"Heidi, I do not love your daughter." I begged her to see the truth in my words. "That's not me, this is not what I want. Surely, you must know that she has probably used her powers on me in some way. I am not one of those fanciful creatures that are overtaken by feelings of love so easily, so quickly."

Heidi stepped back giving me an appraising eye. Her mouth turned down, her eyes darkened with anger. I noticed her fists clenching at her sides. She stiffened her entire body. In that moment, she looked as though she were going to strike me. Hard. I braced myself for what was sure to come next. Unexpectedly, Heidi's expression changed. She began to relax as if something had just occurred to her in an instant. A forced smile replaced her scowl. She turned away from me.

"Perhaps, Edward." Heidi spoke with her back still turned to me.

I let out a small gasp. Her own mother was confirming my suspicions. I had no true feelings for this girl. Isabella was manipulating me. How dare she!

Heidi turned and came to stand at my side, grasping my hand once again.

"Perhaps, knowing this is a possibility, you could overcome these emotions towards her? See them for what they really are? Do nothing more than watch out for her and treat her as just another member of your family?" Heidi questioned me.

"Why would she do such a thing, Heidi?" My anger was replaced with confusion.

Heidi laughed at my question. I noticed her laugh sounded forced, void of true emotion. She cringed slightly next to me and released my hand.

"She's sixteen? She's human? There are no explanations, Edward. Do you think I have the slightest inkling of what goes on in the mind of a teenage, human girl?" Heidi asked.

"Perhaps she's a bit spoiled, Heidi. Perhaps, she's not the angel her father and mother think she is." As soon as the accusations and words left my mouth, I instantly regretted them. But, goddamn it! Isabella should have never used her powers against someone in this way. She should have known better! As far as I could tell, she was the most selfish creature I had ever encountered.

Before I could half-heatedly apologize for my insensitive words, I felt a hand instantly at my throat. My body was being slammed into the wall behind me. I felt the aged plaster crumble beneath my back.

Heidi's face was mere inches from mine. I could feel her cool breath on my face as she began to speak to me through clenched teeth.

"How dare you, Edward Anthony Mason! None of us deserve her! My daughter is better than you, better than all of us! She is full of more goodness, more love, more compassion than you could ever imagine. For the rest of your fucking existence, don't you ever, _ever_ imply she is anything less than that!" Heidi spat at me. Her grip on my throat tightening as she spoke, her words became louder and more intense.

"I'm so sorry, Heidi," I spoke to her softly, trying to cool the flames raging behind her eyes.

Heidi released my neck and took a step back. She appeared to still be consumed with rage. After several deep, calming breaths she began to speak again.

"You don't deserve her love," she whispered. Her anger began to slowly wane. Sadness appeared to take hold again as she glared at me.

_What the hell were you thinking?_ _Fuck, Edward! _I internally chastised myself. "I'm sorry, Heidi. Please forgive me," I begged her.

"Edward, I will only say this once more and then we will never speak of it again. Do you understand?" she asked me. I simply nodded once.

"Never. Doubt. My. Daughter. Again," she forced each word out with more conviction than I had ever heard another speak.

Heidi began to relax. She gazed at me, still standing with my back against the damaged wall. Suddenly, it seemed the realization of what had just transpired between us, hit her.

She moved to my side and began stroking my arm.

"I apologize, Edward. Did I hurt you? Please forgive me and try to understand," she asked me.

"No, I'm fine, Heidi. I should be apologizing to you. I was an insensitive prick wasn't I?" I stated as I gave her my sweetest, most charming smile.

She returned my smile with an emotionless smile of her own. She reached up and stroked my cheek one last time with the back of her hand.

"One day perhaps you will understand, Edward," she whispered, "And if you do, please know I did this out of love. Let Isabella know, I did this because I loved her."

Her words confused me. What had she done? Heidi had been well within her rights putting me in my place. I was being an arrogant bastard and had more or less questioned her skills as a parent. I was lucky that she hadn't caused me irreparable harm.

_Esme would be so proud,_ I thought sarcastically to myself. "Heidi, Esme and Carlisle, they don't need to…" I was about to plead with her not to tell my mother what I had said. My mother's reactions and reprimand would surely have made Heidi's actions look like those of a meek, playful kitten.

"No, we won't tell the others," she interrupted me before I could finish, "I will go and join them now. Please watch out for Isabella while we're gone.

"Heidi, again I'm sorry," I said.

"I'm sorry as well. I should not have lashed out as I did," Heidi said. "Edward, all I ask is that your family keeps my daughter safe once we are gone. In keeping her safe, you must not become emotionally involved in the manner that you are. Surely, you must know the inherent dangers associated with a human becoming involved with a vampire."

Heidi's anger began to dissipate as she began explaining what I already knew. I could not pursue Isabella. To love her, would mean subjecting her to the exact things that we were trying to protect her from.

"I suppose I need to go join the others now. My husband can be quite impatient at times." Heidi smiled at me as she began to exit the room. "I can't believe we actually agreed to try out your parents' diet while they are here," Heidi said with a chuckle.

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it, Heidi," I said to her with a laugh as she waved and disappeared out the front door.

I was left standing alone.

I would definitely be confronting Isabella after what had just happened with her mother. Her parents were unable to see how wrong and selfish it was for their daughter to manipulate others, as she was me. Their common sense was overpowered by their love for their daughter.

I took a seat on the couch waiting. I could here the sounds of water coming from upstairs. I immediately began to dwell on where Bella could be at that very moment. I closed my eyes as I pictured her standing underneath the gentle spray of a shower. Her body would be glistening, water dropping over her naked, warm skin, enhancing her sweet scent. Me standing in front of her. My hands reaching the distance to take hold of her. Our bodies moving closer to one another. My mouth seeking out her lips. Our bodies fusing together.

I let out a loud groan.

_This has got to stop NOW!_ I told myself.


	8. Power

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

* * *

**BPOV**

As I stood under the hot spray of the shower my thoughts drifted to Edward. It's official: Edward Cullen = Complication.

I already had serious regrets in agreeing to attend the charity function tonight with Jacob. Edward's arrival only complicated the situation more. I had been plotting ways to get out of tonight's arrangement ever since Edward walked through the door of my home. But in the end, I just couldn't bring myself to cancel on Jacob.

Jacob was one of my dearest friends here in Italy. We had been friends since his family moved here when he was seven years old. As children, we were inseparable. We managed to remain in touch even after I moved to the U.S. So when he asked me to stand in as his date for this evening, I couldn't refuse the invitation.

Just a favor for a longtime friend. At least that was all it was to me.

I knew Jacob wished for more than a friendship although I made it clear there could never be more between us. Jacob didn't truly love me but more so he loved the idea of me. His parents were wealthy and influential. His father was a successful American business man and his mother an Italian heiress. They put many lofty expectations on Jacob, one of those expectations being to find the right girl. In their eyes I was exactly that, a girl worthy enough to be with their son. Sometimes Jacob would invite me to accompany him to events his parents were hosting. I would oblige his requests hoping to alleviate some of the stress his parents placed on him. I would arrive on his arm, play the part of his trophy, and then return home. Tonight would be like any other night. I would smile when prompted, laugh at humorless jokes when they were made, and then return home where I could figure out this Edward Situation.

I turned off the shower and stepped onto the cool, tiled floor of the bathroom. The warm steam was heavy in the small space. I grabbed a towel hanging from a rack and began drying myself. As I dried myself, I closed my eyes and imagined that it was Edward running the soft towel up and down my body. I imagined his touch to be gentle and reserved. His hands took pause as they crossed the most intimate places on my body. His own naked form standing in front of me, head tilted forward positioning his mouth on mine while he whispered sentiments of love and longing. His voice full of need and desire as he caressed me. The feeling of the coolness of his skin contrasted against the warmth of the steam in the room sent shivers across my entire body.

The sound of my own outward groan awoke me from my fantasy.

_Yep, Hormonal Teen, at your service. This boy is sure to be my complete undoing_, I thought to myself.

I forced myself to concentrate on the task at hand. I could not let Jacob down tonight. I needed to hurry if I would be ready in time. Edward would just have to wait for an evening. I quickly discarded the towel and grabbed my silk robe off the hook on the door. I put it on and hurried to my room.

I had just begun to scour my closet for an appropriate dress for the gala tonight when I heard a heavy rap on my bedroom door.

I opened the door, surprised to see Edward on the other side.

"The others have left to hunt. I hoped I could speak to you for a minute, Isabella." Edward stated.

From the look on his face and the hint of hostility in his voice, I knew this must be serious. I was also very much aware that I was standing on the opposite side of the door from him with nothing more than a thin piece of silk standing in our way of reliving the shower fantasy I had just torn myself away from.

"Of course, Edward. Just give me a minute to dress." I said, opening the door a bit wider so he could see that I was not necessarily dressed for the occasion.

Edwards' eyes drifted down my body apparently noticing my lack of clothing. His mouth fell slightly open and the previous hint of anger in his eyes was replaced with a look of lust. I smiled at the thought of him standing there imagining in his own mind what I must look like underneath that robe.

My smile was obviously noticed by him. He quickly snapped out of the trance he was in. The anger in his eye was back.

_He is going to give me whiplash with these mood swings of his,_ I thought to myself.

"Don't bother," he snapped. "I'll make it quick."

"I just want to let you know, Isabella, that I know _exactly _what's going on here. You may have your parents fooled but not me." Edward blurted out in a loud tone.

He continued, "Since I walked through your front door, I have been overwhelmed with feelings for you. At first, I thought I must be going mad, and then I actually began to believe that I was falling in love with you."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing coming from his mouth. He was professing his love for me. I knew vampires worked fast but this had to be one for the record books. I could barely contain myself. I had not been able to get him out of my head since my first glance of him on our front steps caring that ridiculous red bag. I too wanted to confess how I had been unable to ignore my own desire for him.

"Edward," I began with a wide smile on my face, "I can't believe you feel the same. Honestly, I haven't been able to stop think…."

"Then your father explained your other _gift_ to me, Isabella, You know the one where you manipulate people and play games with their emotions?" Edward interrupted me. His voice was thick with rage.

My smile quickly faded as realization of what his next words would be sunk in.

"Edward, I think there's been a misunderstanding. I would never use that gift on anyone. Please come in and let's talk about this," I pleaded with him as I opened the door all the way beckoning him to come inside.

Edward laughed and said, "Oh give it up, Isabella. I know what you are. A master manipulator. Never above using whatever you have at your disposal to get what you want. Your parents may think you're incapable but I know the truth. You're nothing but a spoiled brat who doesn't care who you hurt along the way."

Hatred began to boil up inside of me. How dare he accuse me of _making_ him want me! I have never met such an arrogant asshole in all my short life. I was seething with anger when I stepped towards him.

I jabbed a finger in his chest and began to scream at him, "How dare you accuse me of something like this! You are an unbelievable prick, Edward Cullen! You know nothing about me. If you did, you would know that I would never do that to someone. What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Give up the innocent act Isabella. I'm not buying it. I felt what you did to me when I walked into this house. You convinced me that I was in love with you, that I needed you." he exclaimed.

Our voices were at a fevered pitch and echoed through the hall. At this point he had also taken a step towards me, closing the distance between us. He was now inside of the doorway with only inches left between our bodies. My anger was to the point that even the closeness of him, which had moments ago left me breathless standing in my bathroom, now had no effect on me.

"Do you really think you know what it feels like, Edward? Are you really so full of yourself that you think you would be able to resist me or stand here and scream at me if I had used my power on you? I'll show you what it feels like and then let's see if you can stand there and accuse me of manipulating you." I yelled.

Before I knew what I was doing or had a chance to think about the repercussions, I found myself focusing all my energy and thoughts towards Edward. I glared into his eyes as I began envisioning our bodies naked, tangled, and sweating. I concentrated on only those thoughts willing them with each quick, shallow breath I took to come true. My mind repeating the same phrase over and over again, '_Love me Edward, Love me Edward, Love me Edward'. _

There was nothing else that existed in that moment as I stared into Edward's eyes. Just my visions of Edward making love to me, the voice in my head demanding that he love me, and the overwhelming feeling of power that was enveloping my soul. I closed my eyes as I surrendered to the euphoria this feeling of power gave me.

I struggled to wake from the drunkenness as I felt my body being slammed into the wall behind me. Something was very wrong.

I fought to bring myself back to the surface. I felt cool lips press hard into my own-too hard. Something wasn't right.

The fog I was under began to lift as I realized icy hands were pulling desperately at my robe - much too desperately.

_Wake up, wake up, wake up,_ I chanted in my head.

I reached the surface as Edward growled into my neck. I heard the ripping of cloth and realized he was now tearing at my thin robe.

"Edward, stop," I whispered weakly – much too weakly.

His hands were now grabbing at my flesh underneath what was left of my robe. I felt his nails digging into my skin as he pressed me harder into the wall behind me.

What had I done? How was I going to get out of this mess?

Edward's head rose from my neck and he stared at me with empty, hungry eyes. He grabbed my chin with force and brought his lips to mine forcing his tongue into my mouth.

I glanced with my eyes towards the doorway praying someone would come to my rescue. I knew there was no hope of escaping a vampire's grasp. His mouth finally left mine and he again moved his attentions to my neck. I began to plead with him.

"Edward, please don't do this. You don't know what you are doing. Please let me go." I sobbed.

Tears were flowing uncontrollably down my face. I knew the end was near. He would not be able to control his bloodlust much longer and he would feed on me. I imagined a scene in which my parents returned home only to find my lifeless body lying on the floor drained of blood. I began to cry uncontrollably at this thought.

"Please hear me. Come back to me Edward. You don't want to do this. Please stop. I love you. I am so sorry." I began pleading with him again, begging him to wake up. Apologizing for what I had done to him, asking him to spare my life.

Against my neck, I felt his lips curl back from his lethal teeth. He growled once again. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the inevitable.

_What have I done? _

* * *

**EPOV**

_I remembered being in a dark tunnel. I could hear the sound of a voice. The voice seemed familiar and comforting to me. I had hoped that the voice would lead me out of the darkness. The voice was soft, barely audible. I couldn't make out the words only the tone. _

_My thirst was becoming unmanageable. I would surely come unhinged if I did not feed soon. The burning in my throat was like no hunger I had felt before. I tried to concentrate on the voice to take my mind off the hunger that was dangerously building inside me. _

_I knew there was something I should be doing, something I needed to stop, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not recall anything that happened before I awoke in this tunnel. I was extremely anxious but I did not know why. All I knew was that one direction would lead me to the source of the voice, the other direction would satisfy my hunger for an eternity._

_I looked up and down the tunnel trying to determine in which direction I should go. As I looked to my left the smell of the blood was overpowering. I fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around my torso. It was the smell of human blood. The sweetest smelling blood I had ever known. My body twitched with pleasure. Licking my lips as the venom pooled over them, my mouth curled into a wicked smile. I wanted to feel the ecstasy that came with feasting on a human. I wanted to become the monster. _

_At that moment, my thoughts of feeding were interrupted by the voice coming from my right. The voice rang out and reverberated against the concrete walls of the tunnel. It was distinctly female. It was filled with emotion. She wanted me to follow her and turn away from my meal. I inexplicably longed to follow the voice. I knew in my heart that the voice would lead me out of the tunnel and would lead me home. I sensed the promise of love waiting for me there. _

_I was torn between the crippling hunger and the promise of love. I don't believe in love, though. Do I? I took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of human blood before making up my mind. _

I awoke from the trance in which I had been locked to find Isabella on the floor curled into a ball at my feet. She was crying uncontrollably. I backed away from her in horror, the back of my legs meeting the edge of her bed. I sat down on the end of the bed and dropped my face into my hands.

I don't know how long I sat there with my face covered; begging for forgiveness, apologizing over and over again, while her tortured cries rang in my ears.

_What had I done?_

The memories of the previous events slowly began to come back to me. I remembered standing in Isabella's doorway arguing. I remembered the accusations I spat at her. I remembered her threats. Then nothing else before the tunnel.

_The tunnel, the thirst, the blood, _ I recalled.

My head shot up and I raced to her side on the floor. Her cries had died down to childlike whimpers. I must have bit her.

"Bella, I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Where is the bite? Does it burn?" I asked her. I was frantic to hear her answer.

She raised her head towards me with a confused look in her tear-swollen eyes. I began moving her hair out of the way so I could examine her neck. Perhaps if I found the wound in time, I could wash out the venom somehow. I wasn't able to think rationally. All I knew was that this girl was about to change into one of my kind. I had failed to protect her.

I swiftly scooped her into my arms and carried her into the bathroom at vampire speed. I sat her on the counter and I found a washcloth by the sink. I wet the cloth with cool water under the faucet and I had begun washing the tears from her face while searching her body for bite marks when she finally spoke.

"Edward, stop, please," She muttered as she grasped and stilled my shaking hand, "You didn't bite me."

I gently placed the moist washcloth in her hand and stepped away from her. She slid off the countertop I had sat her on and turned to face the mirror. There was a deep sadness in her eyes that broke my already dead heart.

"I am so sorry, Bella. I don't know what happened." I said in a near whisper.

"Please don't," she raised the palm of her hand toward me as she spoke, "I caused this. I shouldn't have used my power on you. I let it go too far. I just wanted to show…" her voice trailed off.

"Can you please just leave me alone now, Edward?" she asked. Tears began welling in her eyes again.

Resigned, I nodded, turned, and left.

* * *

So, I realize that I am the hugest fail ever. I haven't written anything except business related documents in over a year now. Finishing the story has definitely taken a back seat to Real Life for far too long. I moved in 2010 to a new state, started a new career, settled into a new home, all while trying to raise the best 16 year old daughter in the world (even if she does hate anything Twilight related-she is much too cool for that). Surprisingly, this past weekend, I received an email notification that someone had added my story to their list of favorites. They obviously had not noticed my last posting date of almost 2 years ago. I hadn't thought about the story in so long. I pulled out the old flash drive and re-read the chapters, found a few errors, thought about going in and correcting all of them, couldn't remember how to make corrections on FF, and then just started writing a brand new chapter. Once I started, the ideas kept flowing. Over time the story in my head has changed a bit and will take a few unplanned twists and turns. Hopefully, I keep with it this time around. So to all you out there that enjoyed my story but had ultimately given up on me, I am so very sorry. I hope you are happy with the new material and that I haven't lost you forever. And I am sorry to all those who may have to go back and re-read because they forgot the beginning of the story after so long…I know I did. I just hope the shower fantasy made up for my absence. I do so love wet, naked Edward fantasies.


	9. Monsters

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, if you haven't heard.

* * *

**BPOV**

I hid the torn robe in an old duffel bag in the back of my closet. I didn't want to take the chance of putting it in with the trash and my mother discovering it. I didn't want to deal with the ensuing questions that discovery would result in. This was definitely not a situation I wanted to have to explain to my parents. Their disappointment in me for what I had knowingly done to Edward would be more than I could handle.

I slipped into a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt as I came up with an excuse to give Jacob for bailing on him tonight. After what happened with Edward I just wasn't in the mood to put on a false smile and play the part of the doting girlfriend tonight. My hands were shaking uncontrollably when I began to dial Jacob's phone number causing me to have to redial three times.

_Calm down, Bells_, I told myself.

"Hello, Gorgeous!" Jacob's voice sang out cheerfully after only one ring.

"Hi, Jacob," I managed in a rather shaky voice.

"Everything okay, beautiful?" he asked. "You sound terrible."

"Not really, that's why I'm calling. I'm sorry Jacob but I must be coming down with a bug. I feel wretched and I just can't make it tonight." I said; my voice hoarse from crying.

"Ah, Bells you can't do this to me," He whined.

I sighed. I knew he wouldn't make this easy for me.

"Come on, just make a quick appearance. Talk to my parents for five minutes and I promise I will bring you home," he pleaded with me.

"Jacob, I'm really sick. I can barely crawl out of bed. Give your parents my love and tell them I will see them soon," I said.

This conversation was quickly draining the last of my energy reserves. I was exhausted and having trouble coming up with excuses. I wasn't sure how much more of his pleading I could stand.

"Please, Bells. This is the last time, I promise," he once again begged.

"Jacob, I just can't. I'm really sorry," I replied.

I hung up the phone before he could respond.

I sat at the vanity in my bedroom staring into the mirror at the reflection looking back at me. I barely recognized myself. My face was blotchy and my eyes were red and swollen from crying, but it went much deeper than that. I looked as if I had aged at least ten years. My skin was dull and fine lines were visible. The dark circles and puffy skin beneath my eyes gave the appearance that I hadn't slept in months. The girl looking back at me was a stranger.

As I studied the foreign features of my reflection, a feeling of shame began to wash over me. I got up from the mirror and went over to my bed to lie down. Staring up at the ceiling, I began to think back to what I had done to Edward.

I couldn't believe that I had lost my temper like that. His accusations and blatant arrogance had been more than I could handle. I had only ever used my power once in my life when I was a small child. Truth be told, that one time had happened by accident – nothing more than a mean little boy that I just wanted to be my friend. I had no idea the force I would be unleashing when I deliberately wielded it at Edward.

I had never seen someone change so quickly. Once I had focused my power on Edward, his eyes filled with a deep, longing passion that exhilarated me but then all too quickly his eyes morphed into the eyes of a terrifying beast. They blackened and dulled, gazing past me, into some unseen world where I imagined only lust and blood existed.

But that wasn't the most terrifying part. I saw what was happening to him. I registered that I had taken it too far but I couldn't control it. I couldn't stop pushing him to take me. My own power consumed me and I hungered for that feeling of absolute power over another. I never thought myself capable of destroying another creature but in that moment I wanted nothing more than to see him eventually crumble under the weight of my strength. I began to sink down into a dark place where all that mattered to me was the intoxicating pleasure of controlling and eventually destroying Edward in that moment.

I wasn't thinking clearly, or I would have realized that I could not have possibly taken on a vampire physically. The physical pain he was causing me was alarming but welcome. It was the only thing I could hold on to in order to pull myself up from the darkness.

By the time I made it out of the darkness, it was too late. He had already overpowered me and I could do nothing more than beg and plead for him to spare my life. Slowly, I saw his eyes begin to focus in on me. They once again they became clear. He wore a look of apparent confusion at first but then that was quickly replaced with remorse. The pain I saw on his face once the realization of what he was doing to me set in, is something I will never forget.

I was terrified thinking about the monster I had seen myself becoming in those brief moments with Edward. As I began to doze off, I vowed that I would make it right with Edward again and that I would never do that to another person.

_Please forgive me, Edward_, was my final thought.

* * *

**EPOV**

_I almost killed her,_ I thought to myself as I slumped down in a chair in the living room.

I was staring up at the ceiling, replaying the events in my mind. I was desperately searching for the moment in time where I had lost all control. I was studying every move Bella and I had made, dissecting every word we had spoken to each other. I was trying to locate the trigger that sent me spiraling into the blackness I had always fought against. I was searching for the thing that had awakened the monster.

After many, many years of battle, I had convinced myself that I had defeated the monster. But he was never truly defeated. He was always there, sleeping, crouching in the blackness, patiently waiting for the moment of weakness that was sure to come. I had been a fool all these years.

I closed my eyes trying to concentrate.

I recalled Isabella telling me that she would show me what it truly felt like for her to use her power against me. I smiled, remembering how I had nearly laughed out loud when she said it. I remembered thinking to myself that I had already felt the "force" and was able to overcome it quickly and painlessly. What more could this small kitten muster up?

Then nothing. No more memories. It was as if everything had gone blank. I imagined this would be what a human would experience when they passed out. I had no concept of time or how long this blankness, this nothingness, lasted.

The next thing I remembered was the tunnel. My body shuddered at the remembrance of it. It was a place of blackness, hopelessness, and evil. It was the place the monster called home and it was to be the battleground for my soul. I felt as though there was no way out. I remembered deciding to give up the struggle and turn myself over to the monster. He had wanted me for so very long and I was too tired to fight anymore.

Then I remembered hearing the voice. It was Bella's voice. In my darkest hour, it was her voice that pulled me from the blackness. It was Bella that had saved my soul.

Sitting in that chair I made up my mind that I didn't care if she had placed me under some type of spell when I first arrived. It didn't matter anymore if my previous feelings were based on a trick or were based on truth. The feelings I had been having since walking through that front door were but a small measure of what I was feeling for her at that very moment. Gratitude. I loved her for saving me.

I only hoped she could find it in her heart to forgive me for the pain I had caused her. Begging her forgiveness and winning her trust was all that mattered. Rather or not she loved me in return was of little consequence. This wasn't about me or what I hoped to gain from committing myself to making her happy and keeping her safe. This was about repaying her for saving my soul.

Bella needed a protector now and I would be that for her. Regardless of Carlisle's decision on accepting her into our family or not, I would make sure she survived what was coming. If it meant leaving my family to remain at her side, that is what I would do. If it meant giving up everything I had ever treasured, then I would make that sacrifice.

I lifted my head and opened my eyes. I looked to my side and saw the indentation in the wall where my body struck during Heidi and my confrontation. It already seemed ages ago that it happened but in looking at the grandfather clock standing proudly next to the damaged wall, I realized that it had only been a short hour ago.

Only 60 minutes ago that Heidi cautioned me to keep my distance, only 45 minutes ago that I went to speak to Bella in her room, only 30 minutes ago that Bella saved my soul, and only two minutes for me to decide that Bella was my life now.

_Please forgive me, Bella,_ I thought.

At that moment the doorbell rang.

I was out of the chair in an instance. I knew that the family would not be ringing the front door bell. I quickly and silently moved to the front door. The sun had already sunk behind the hills in the horizon and the porch light was not on. Even in the darkness, my vampire eyes could clearly see that this was an unknown vampire. Tall and slender with wavy blond hair that shimmered in the early moon light. He wore a short sleeve tee shirt and I could see the bite scars littering his arms. I know of only one thing that could leave a bite scar forever imbedded into a vampire's nearly impenetrable skin – another vampire.

The Volutri Guard had arrived.

I heard heavy footsteps behind me. My head snapped in the direction of the staircase that led to Bella's room. She was descending the stairs. With her arms stretching above her head she looked as though she had just woken from sleep.

"Who's at the door?" she said far too loudly.

I knew the vampire ears on the other side of the huge mahogany door were sure to have heard her voice. I raced to her side in an instance and started to lead her back up the stairs.

"What's happening? What's wrong, Edward?" Bella asked with concern.

I raised my finger to her lips to silence her.

"I need you to be as quiet as possible, Bella," I whispered to her.

She nodded her head to show that she understood. I picked her up in my arms and ran as fast as I could up the stairs into her room. Once in the room, I set her back down on her feet and closed and locked the door.

_As if a lock will keep out a vampire,_ I thought to myself

The doorbell rang again. I turned and faced Bella. Her eyes were focused on the closed bedroom door. She was obviously confused and scared. I could see that she was on the verge of panic. I recalled the vow I had made just moments ago. I would be her protector. I would get her out of here safely.

I began to form a plan that involved the window overlooking the stable. The doorbell rang out again followed by a hard persistent wrapping on the door frame. I placed my hand on Bella's cheek and turned her head slightly so that she was looking at me.

"I am going to get you out of this, Bella. I swear to you. But you have to do everything I tell you to do with no questions asked. Do you trust me?" I whispered.

"Yes, I trust you Edward," she said.

I stroked her cheek with my thumb and then grasped her hand and led her to the window. Just as we were opening the window sash, the sound of the front door opening resonated in my ears.

"BELLA, I KNOW I HEARD YOU. WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?" a voice yelled out from downstairs.

I looked at Bella. She smiled at me and began sprinting to the bedroom door. She threw open the door before I could even process what was happening.

"JASPER!" she yelled into the hallway.

* * *

What do you guys think? After all this heavy, I think it was time to have a little fun. I hope you all are as excited to see Jasper as I am. I know Alice is.

Confession Time:

So when I started this story at the end of 2009, I always pictured having Jacob play a major role later in the story. I had always loved Jacob from the books. He held a very special place in my heart and I was concocting a great story for him in my head. Some readers may have seen the name Alec a couple of chapters ago referring to Bella's impending date. Not the Voluri Alec just some ancillary character that we would only have to tolerate for one chapter never to be heard from again. As I mentioned in yesterday's notes though, time has changed the story in my head a bit and I have this confession to make...

*WARNING - TEAM TAYLOR FANS STOP READING NOW*

Taylor Lautner ruined Jacob for me. I know, I know this is not likely to make me any friends. But I loved my book Jake so much and Taylor Lautner never lived up to the Jake I had created in my own mind. I know all I need to cure this illness is to pick up my copy of new moon and get to rereading Stephenie's masterpiece. But I just don't have the time for it right now and I still have one more movie to go before I can remove Taylor from my mind completely. Therefore, I changed the random name of Alec to Jacob and decided to write him out of my story in record time. So if you are looking for some hot Quileute wolf lovin', you might want to find a different story.

So how do the movie actors compare to the characters you envisioned when you first read the books? Let me know.


	10. Love

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight

* * *

JPOV

As I sat on the bar stool at the kitchen island watching Bells fumble through drawers and cabinets, I couldn't help but admire the woman she was becoming. She was stunning in every way. She was beautiful, talented, charming, strong, and confident. My heart swelled at the thought that I had helped in raising her. For 16 years, I had the honor of being her protector and mentor, of watching her grow and accomplish. Words could never convey the sense of pride I felt when I compared the weak infant we had found in that small, blood-drenched house to the young woman that stood before me.

I continued watching her in still-silence as she went about putting away dishes. I began to notice her cutting quick, nervous glances towards The Cullen Kid who had taken up residence in front of the picture window above the sink. He appeared to be in deep thought as he peered out the window into the blackness of the night. Occasionally his concentration broke and he would shift his eyes to Bells. He wore a look of obvious distress on his face.

Since I had arrived, the two of them had been acting extremely nervous. I could feel their anxiety. Even without my gift, I knew Bells like the back of my hand. I knew she was hiding something. She just couldn't stop fidgeting- always a sure sign of guilt where she was concerned.

I would have normally attributed this kind of odd behavior to two horny teens that were just caught by the parents with their pants down around their ankles. Only they weren't your normal teens, or at least one of them wasn't. I turned my attention back to Eddie.

He looked a bit like a daisy to me but other than that I wasn't yet sure what to make of The Cullen Kid. He had barely spoken two words since Bells introduced us. All I knew for certain was that he was a vampire, Bells looked like hell, and he had better not have had a goddamn thing to do with it. I was going to get to the bottom of what these two were hiding and I was going to make sure Eddie kept his distance.

Suddenly, The Idiot seemed to have awoken and shot his head in my direction as if I had called his name. He met my gaze with narrowed eyes. I just smirked at him and turned towards Bells.

"So Bells, what's up with the new zombie look? Living with monsters isn't enough? Now you have to go and look like one? I quipped to Bells.

"Why thank you, Jasper. Such the southern gentlemen." She stated sarcastically.

I chuckled and replied, "Can't a brother worry about his sister? Seriously, Bells, you look exhausted. Everything okay?"

_She better be okay or I will rip that shit-for-brains Cullen Kid from limb to limb._ I thought to myself.

I cut my eyes back to the idiot at the window. His angry gaze had intensified. His jaw was clenched and his eyes blackened. It was as if he could read my mind.

"I'm fine really. I just haven't gotten much sleep lately. Between finals and then traveling home, I'm just exhausted." Bells responded, her voice shaky.

She glanced at Eddie. I watched him turn his attention from me back to her. His face instantly softened as his eyes focused on Bells. He had a look of care and concern on his face as the two of them stared at each other. Then I felt it. It hit me harder than any emotion I had ever felt from another being. It was coming from Edward with an intensity so palpable I could almost visualize the waves as they flowed from his body and spanned the short distance to Bells.

I had felt this emotion constantly emanating from the masses during my many, many years as a vampire. My gift allowed me to feel what others were feeling, to share in their emotions. Through my gift, I became intrigued with the one emotion that seemed to shape all beings' lives and the entire world they lived in. That single emotion that rang through my senses stronger than all the others. Love.

I had learned the vast differences between human and vampire love. After becoming a vampire and realizing my gift, I quickly become aware that Love was the most complex of all human emotions. Unlike vampires, whose love never faded with time and remained steadfast no matter the odds, Love was an ever-changing emotion for humans, constantly evolving through the stages of their lives.

I could pass a young couple on the street with their arms entwined around one another, and instantly recognize the strong passions of a newly formed relationship. I could encounter a married couple quietly arguing within a shop and feel the resentment and disdain of a strained partnership. I could prey on a dying, old man and instantly sense when the long-held, deep sorrow associated with the loss of his wife years before was quickly replaced with the newfound joy at the prospect of finally being reunited with his lover as he lay dying in my arms.

What I was feeling from Edward at that moment was far stronger than any of my previous experiences with Love – human or vampire. It was an all-encompassing cocktail of desperation, sorrow, need, confusion, longing, fear, and elation. In the brief glance he shared with my sister, I recognized all these emotions reflected in his eyes. I knew there was no going back for him. I knew that he had already devoted the remainder of his existence to only her. This was the way of vampires. When Love reached out to us and enveloped us in her sweet caress, there was no going back. Our devotion would last the remainder of our existence. And our existence was an eternity.

Convention told me that, as her brother, I should be concerned with the fact that a vampire had fallen for her so deeply. I knew the stories of vampire-human relationships, had seen one of these relationships first hand with James and Victoria. He had turned her in order not to kill her. I knew I should be protesting at this very moment and I should not allow this to happen. But I had felt what Edward felt. I had felt the strength in his resolve to protect her no matter what. I had felt his need to sacrifice all he knew for my sister. I was satisfied in the fact that this man would protect her no matter what and she would be safe for the rest of her life under his care.

As I sat there on that stool just beginning to contemplate the ramifications of the overwhelming emotions I felt coming from Edward directed towards my sister, I was hit with a separate barrage of emotion. I instantly recognized it as human. It was coming from Bells and it matched the intensity of Edward's emotions.

So there it was. The one person I cherished above all others in this world had fallen in love with a vampire and he with her. It may not have been what I had envisioned for her future but it was exactly what I had always wished for her – a man that would appreciate all that she was and all that she could offer. A man that would cherish and respect her. A man that would forever remain faithful. I had hoped she would meet a human man and fall in love, produce a family. But Love seemed to have its own design in mind.

Bells broke her gaze with Edward and looked at me. I'm sure realizing that I would have felt what she was feeling in that moment. Guilt was now the overwhelming feeling coming from her as she pleaded to me with her eyes to understand. She knew I had felt her emotions; I smiled back at her and nodded my head slightly signaling to her that I would support her no matter what. With that, her eyes brightened and she rushed to my side and flung her arms around my neck.

"Thank you, Jasper. I knew you would understand. I love you," she whispered in my ear.

I glanced back at Edward who was watching Bells' and my interaction with confusion. I turned my attention to him.

"I believe you and I will need to have serious talk later, Edward," I informed him.

Edward gave me an uncertain nod and Bells released me. She flashed him her most brilliant smile and I felt a fresh wave of lust coming from him.

"Hmmm, perhaps sooner rather than later would be best," I chuckled.

Edward had opened his mouth to speak when we heard the others returning from their hunt. They were making their way down to path that led from the pasture to the house.

"Sounds like the others are back. Do your parents know…" I informed Bells.

"Alice!" Bells exclaimed interrupting me.

Bells tugged on my arms signaling me to stand up.

"Bells, what are you doing? And who's Alice?" I asked as I stood to face her.

Bells began straightening out my shirt. When she seemed satisfied with that she brought her fingers to her mouth and licked them. I heard a distinct groan coming from Edward's place in the kitchen when she did that.

_Yep, he's got it bad_, I quipped to myself.

I watched Bells effectively moisten her hand with her tongue completely clueless as what she was doing. When she then reached for my hair, it clicked. I dodged the offensive saliva drenched fingers. Bells growled at me.

"Just let me fix it. Your hair is sticking up right there," she informed me as I dodged out of her reach again.

"Stop it Bells! Have you lost your mind?" I said as she began chasing me around the bar.

"Hold still, Jasper! You have to look perfect," she yelled at me as she tripped over her own two feet as she rounded the corner of the island.

Edward reached out and caught her before she plummeted to the tile floor. I didn't miss that his hands lingered on her a waist just a bit longer than was necessary.

We were all three laughing as Bells continued pursuing me around the kitchen. I was just ducking from another onslaught of freshly licked fingers when I heard Heidi enter the house asking what the ruckus was. Just as I rounded the corner of the island for the second time with Bells right behind me, I ran into someone who had entered the kitchen nearly knocking us both to the floor.

I grasped the small shoulders of the person I had come into contact with and managed to steady us just before we lost our balance. I looked down to see who I had ran into. My mouth fell open when my eyes focused on what I held in my hands. It was the most glorious creature I had ever seen. Suddenly my world was turned inside out.

Everything around me went out of focus. I saw only her clearly. All the sounds in the room muffled. I heard only her breathing. Nothing else in the world mattered. The beautiful woman in my hands was all I would ever need.

I couldn't move. This woman I didn't even know had me under her spell as I gazed into her golden eyes. She had a look of utter shock on her face. She must have thought I was a mad man. Bells came and stood beside us.

"Jasper, meet Alice," she said happily as she glanced between the two of us.

* * *

Chapter Notes:

I had to rewrite this one a couple of times thus the delay in posting anything. I knew I needed to introduce Jasper and set up the meeting with Alice. I started with the typical EandB POV but it just wasn't working-nothing but dialogue. I HATE writing dialogue! I HATE reading to much dialogue! I had almost given up on the chapter. Then one day it occurred to me….This is Jasper and Alice…what the HALE am I thinking doing EandB POVs? Yes, I know….so obvious. So I "re-vamped" the entire chapter.

Let me know what you think. Reviews make me giddy.


	11. Desire

All these sexy vampires are owned by Stephenie Meyer

* * *

BPOV

I couldn't help but smile as I watched the two of them interact with one another. It seemed that she couldn't stop giggling and he had an utterly goofy smile permanently affixed to his face.

_Oh, I am definitely going to tease him about that stupid smile later_, I thought to myself.

Ever since I introduced Jasper to Alice in the kitchen, he had not for one moment taken his eyes, or hands, off of her. Be it grasping her hands in his, gently stroking her arm, or simply holding her body close to his as they sat on the couch, Jasper was constantly touching Alice. He was like a kid with a new toy. I believed he had smiled more in the last half hour than he had the entire 16 years that I had known him.

I began thinking about Jasper's past. Jaspers was not an easy life. He had been through a living nightmare for the majority of his existence. Even as a human, he had never experienced peace. He had shared gut-wrenching stories with me. It frightened me to imagine some of the things he shared with me especially knowing that he filtered the most gruesome details for my benefit. I knew that whatever he had experienced was far worse than he was ever willing to share.

I had always wished for the day when he could truly be happy. When someone would enter his life and take away the pain. Someone who would finally love him for the man he is and look past the man he was. Someone who would show him that he was not the undeserving monster he was so quick to believe he was.

Seeing how they gazed into each other's eyes, I had no doubt that person was Alice.

I couldn't help but be in awe at how fast it seemed to have happened. My parents and Jasper had always described to me how quick and unchangeable a vampire's love was. Once a vampire met their mate, the bond was instant and unbreakable. Only death could separate a vampire from his true love.

I began wondering if Edward could possibly love me in the same way. I began replaying the day's events in my mind and I was sure that all things pointed to him being in love with me. I knew beyond a doubt that I had fallen for him the moment he entered the front door of my home. But had he fallen for me just as quickly? The most important question would be, if he had fallen for me as I had him, could I handle the intensity of a vampire's love and what would that love mean for my future?

I had no desire to become a vampire. There were to many things I wanted as a human. Though it would have been the easier course given my situation, it had never appealed to me. I had watched my parents' and Jasper's constant struggle against what they were, the pain in the knowledge that they were trapped in time, never moving forward, never changing.

I wanted to have the typical human life so they could share in it with me. I wanted to give them a chance to live vicariously through me. I wanted my father to be able to hold me while I cried on his shoulder over the latest heartbreak. I wanted to see my mother holding her grandchild in her arms one day. I wanted Jasper there giving me advice on all the mundane things that humans experienced every day. If only for a few decades, I wanted them to feel like a human family. I wanted them to know that joy before I left them forever in death.

I knew at the same time that it would not be easy for them to watch me grow old, slowly creeping closer to death while they remained young and beautiful. Even a vampire with their strength could not stop the hands of time for a human. Eventually, I would leave them but I knew that they would have my children, and my children's children to fill the void after I was long gone. Perhaps some of my descendants would even choose their lifestyle, choose to become a vampire. In that, I would have given them the greatest gift of all. I would have given them a family that would stand the test of time. They would have a part of me with them always.

I looked over to my parents who were holding each other close and staring into each other's eyes. They seemed to have tuned out everyone else around them. I watched as my father placed a soft kiss on my mother's lips and mouthed the words "I love you" to her. There was such pain in their eyes at that moment. I became uneasy with the look they were exchanging. It was a look filled with sorrow and much worse…goodbyes.

I knew something was going on and I was determined to find out what they were keeping from me. I couldn't help the overwhelming sense of dread I felt. I was terrified of what seemed to be waiting for me in the near future. I knew that whatever my parents and the Cullens were hiding from me would change my life forever.

Alice's twinkling laughter woke me from my thoughts.

I looked over to see Jasper whispering in her ear. I am sure all the other vampires in the room could hear them as they all seemed to have looked away from the two love birds in that moment. They all looked a bit uncomfortable at whatever Jasper had said to Alice.

I glanced over at Edward who stood in the corner of the room. He met my gaze and just shrugged and smiled that beautiful half smile of his as he shifted from his left foot to his right foot.

I looked over to see my father staring at me with concern in his eyes. He just smiled at me before turning to speak to Jasper and Alice.

"Perhaps the two of you would consider going into town for the evening. There is a lovely inn called Agriturismo. Very romantic, rustic setting. The ideal place to…shall we say 'get to know one another better'," my father stated with heavy implication in his voice.

His last comment earned more than a few chuckles from everyone in the room. From everyone except my mother that is. She looked directly at me as she spoke.

"After all we must take into consideration that there is a child present," her tone was laced with a hint of anger.

"Mother, I am hardly a child." I retorted glaring at her through narrowed eyes.

What is up with her? She has never spoken down to me like that before. I was desperate to get to the bottom of whatever it was that my parents were hiding from me.

I saw her turn her attention to Edward. She gave him a menacing look that frightened me. All the others in the room seemed to have felt the tension in our exchange. They had all become quiet and I decided I needed to lighten the mood.

"I have to agree with my pops. The inn in town may be better suited for you guys," I stated, "I'm sure I would never get any sleep tonight with Jasper's room being next door to mine. UUUHHHGGG," I groaned with a fake shudder.

This elicited laughter from everyone except my mother. I have never seen her so sad, so angry, so worried before. The stress coming off of her was suffocating. I knew Jasper must have been feeling it to. I desperately needed to talk to my big brother alone. I hoped he could shed light on what was going on. I also hoped he may be able to give some big brother advice where Edward was concerned.

"That actually sounds like a wonderful idea." Jasper stated

He stood from his seat to face Alice, placing one arm behind his back while extended his other hand towards her.

"Would you do me the honor of escorting me into town?" he asked Alice as he bowed in front of her.

"I thought you would never ask!" she gushed; grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the door before he even know what hit him.

The two of them yelled their farewells and goodnights as they ran out the door.

After Jasper and Alice had left, an awkward silence fell over the room. I couldn't help but notice my mother's cutting glances directed towards Edward. I briefly thought about just confronting them all right then and there but decided I was too tired to think anymore. I was physically and emotional drained. I resolved to start getting to the bottom of things tomorrow.

I let out a huge yawn and stood up, stretching my hands above my head while arching my back. I saw Edward tense in the corner of my eye. I smiled inwardly allowing myself to assume it was in response to my body.

"I think I will return to my room for the evening. I still have some unpacking to do," Edward announced to everyone. He bid our parents a good evening and went to leave. As he passed me on his way out of the room he brushed his fingers across my hand that hung at my side ever so slightly.

"Good night, Bella," he said quietly as he passed.

I followed him with my eyes until he was out of site. When I looked back to the others in the room, it was obvious that our brief exchange did not go unnoticed. Esme appeared to be beaming, Carlisle and my father both wore looks of concern on their faces, while my mother looked like she was prepared to rip Edward limb from limb.

_A mother-daughter talk is definitely on the agenda for tomorrow_, I thought to myself.

"Well I'm off to bed. I'm completely drained," I informed them.

I kissed my parents goodnight and gave Carlisle and Esme a hug and told them how happy I was to have finally met them.

I ascended the stairs slowly, one step at a time as my thoughts drifted to Edward. I wondered how strong his feelings were for me and if it was as intense as Jasper's feeling towards Alice. I really needed to get some alone time with Jasper so I could drill him for information. I'm sure he would know exactly what Edward was feeling.

I had reached the top of the stairs and was about to enter my room when a soft voice spoke to me from the shadows.

"Bella," he called softly.

I looked towards the familiar velvety voice and saw Edward emerge from the darkness of the hall. As he slowly walked towards me, I drew in a deep breath. Edward crossed the short distance between us and placed his hand lightly on my shoulder. His thumb began making circles on the bare flesh there, sending tingles through my entire body.

"I want to apologize for everything today. I want a chance to start over if that is alright with you," he whispered to me.

"Edward, you don't need to apologize. It was just as much my fault as it was yours. It all just got so far out of control," I said to him.

I brought my hand up to his face and cupped his check tenderly. As I stared up into his honey colored eyes that shown with deep emotion, I could no longer contain my feelings for him.

"I've never felt this way before," I softly whispered my confession to him.

His eyes closed and a low moan escaped from his lips. When he opened his eyes they contained such tenderness that it overwhelmed me. He placed his other hand on my waist as the hand on my shoulder began making its way up past my neck to the back of my hair. He pulled me in closer to him bending down and placing a kiss on the top of my head. He lingered there breathing in my scent before clutching me to his chest. I was hyper aware of his muscular form pressing against my body. As he held me to him in an embrace, I felt the muscles in his chest against the side of my face as they hitched and relaxed. Jolts of electricity were surging through my entire body.

I wanted so much in the moment to reach up and pull his face down to mine. To kiss his beautiful lips. To feel his strong tongue working within my mouth. I wanted his hands to explore my body leaving no area untouched.

I suddenly realized that his thoughts must not have been too far from my own as I felt his manhood grow between us. The thought that he was just as aroused as I was in that moment, elated me. He began wrapping my hair within his fingers tugging gently. His lips began making their way lower, ghosting the skin at my temple. His lips swept slowly downward, across my jaw. His cool breath washed over my face sending shivers across my body. I was sure he felt my involuntary trembles as his grip around my waist tightened causing my body to crush tighter against his. When his lips found their way to the corner of my mouth, I let out a small whimper.

I immediately regretted that small whimper as he suddenly pulled away from me. I looked up and saw conflicting emotions dacing in his eyes.

"Sleep my sweet, Bella" he stated simply.

He turned and descended the stairs at vampire speed. I leaned against my door frame and closed my eyes. I was breathless from our exchange. I tried to calm my rapid heartbeat and steady my breathing.

_I love you, Edward Cullen,_ I declared internally as I brought my fingers to my lips imagining what could have been.

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Chapter Notes:

I know readers must be in shock that I have posted twice in the last 24 hours…virtually unheard of for me…lol. What can I say, I was cooped up in a hotel for a full week on a business trip and this is the product of my boredom. More to come VERY soon.

Jasper and Alice's Get Away Location:

Hotel_Review-g187902-d1501799-Reviews-Montaperti_Agriturismo-Siena_

Let me know what you think – good or bad. Is it too soon for Bella and Edward to be falling in love? It's only been a day after all.


	12. Decisions

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight

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EPOV –

The plan had been simple. Go to my room and unpack. Then spend the remainder of the evening lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Bella.

That was until I heard her coming up the stairs. I couldn't resist the urge to go into the hall to see her. I had not planned to speak to her, just secretly stand in the shadows and catch a glimpse of her one last time before I began my boring evening.

_Yep, Edward. You've officially become a full blown stalker,_ I thought to myself.

As I saw her turn the top of the stairs and make her way to her room, I noticed that she appeared to be in deep thought. I had only started to imagine what she must be thinking in that moment when unexpectedly she gently began biting her lower lip. That single mundane action sent shivers through my body.

The need to touch her was profound and before I even registered what I was doing, I had called out her name. Having made my presence known, I had to approach her.

I proceeded to have a moment with her that I will remember for the remainder of my existence. It started with apologies as I tried to beg her to forgive me, to allow me another chance to prove to her that I could be the man she deserved. But when she spoke and acknowledged her feelings for me, I could barely contain my joy.

I needed to hold her. It was such a tender loving moment, warm, soft. I just held her to me as I breathed in her scent. For a brief second as I held her, smelling her hair, I was hit by a strong bloodlust. But it quickly dissipated and was replaced by a much stronger need. The need to kiss her.

I couldn't be certain if she would be receptive to a kiss at first considering what had transpired earlier in the evening. I was racked with guilt once again as I thought about what I had almost done to her, what the monster had almost done to her. I didn't ever want to lose control with her again. I was terrified of losing control and destroying her.

So I moved painfully slow. I held her gently as I moved my lips slowly toward their destination. When she responded with tremors, I was encouraged. I held her tighter to my body as her warmth spread over me like a blanket. I continued moving slowly towards her mouth. The desire to feel her lips between mine was all that mattered. To knead the soft, plump flesh of her lips with my own, to taste her mouth with my tongue.

Unexpectedly she let out a small whimper. I had just barely had time to register the fact that she wanted this as much as I did when I heard my name being spoken from downstairs. It was Heidi and her thoughts towards me were full of rage.

Breaking away from this moment of bliss was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do. But I knew that I needed to speak to our parents sooner rather than later. I needed them to know my true feelings towards Bella and my willingness to sacrifice myself in order to keep her safe. As great as my physical need was for Bella, there was an even greater, more pressing concern at the moment. Ensuring her safety. I needed to begin making preparations and I would need the other's support in any plan I made with regards to Bella's future.

"Sleep my sweet Bella," I said to her.

I quickly left her and made my way downstairs to face the firing squad.

The thoughts in the room were chaotic at best. Carlisle and Demetri were going back and forth in their minds trying to determine the best course of action where Bella's safety was concerned. Neither knowing if the recent development of my falling in love with Bella should lend cause to abandon the original plan of her returning to Forks with my family. One minute they would decide she would come with my family only to shoot the plan down a moment later.

Heidi's thoughts were cemented. She had already decided to refuse to allow Bella to return with us. She loathed the idea of me being with their daughter. I didn't hold that against her or resent her for what she was thinking. I imagined myself in her position and knew I would feel the same way had someone like myself fallen in love with my child. I would fight to the death to prevent her from becoming what I was.

Then there was Esme. Her thoughts were resolute. She was elated in the fact that I had finally found love. She understood the difficulties it presented with Bella being human. But she had no doubt that the fact that I had fallen in love with Bella only ensured her continued safety. She knew that Bella would be safe from anything because he son would gladly sacrifice his existence to keep her safe. In her mind, things could not have worked out more perfectly. She was already coming up with decorating schemes for what would be Bella's room back in Forks.

My cold, dead heart warmed listening to my mother's thoughts. She believed in me whole heartedly. The love and faith she had in me was absolute and profound. Her thoughts gave me the strength I need to face what was sure to be a difficult discussion with the others in the room. She may not have given birth to me but she was my mother in every other way possible.

She looked up at me and smiled.

_I am so happy for you my dear son. It will all work out, you'll see. Stay strong._ She thought to me.

I walked over to Esme and brought her into a hug.

"Thank you, mom," I whispered to her.

I turned to address the others.

"I think we all need to sit down and make some decisions." I announced.

We all took our seats. Heidi's heated glare was fixed on me. I knew I needed to start this conversation. I knew no decisions could be made until I acknowledged my true feelings for Bella. Only then would they be able to see the best course of action.

"I first want to apologize to Heidi and Demetri if I may," I began.

"I am well aware that I have not been able to exactly hide my feelings since I walked in your front door. I want you to know that I tried to resist but in the end I must resign myself to the fact that I love your daughter. I know that I may not be the ideal man, the man you had in mind for your daughter. But being vampires, I am sure that you know all too well that Fate rarely deals you the hand you expect. I'm sorry for what I am and that I cannot be more for you and your daughter but know that I will protect her and love her for the remainder of my existence." I explained hoping they would see the truth in my words.

Esme reached over and grabbed my hand. She looked at me with love in her eyes. She spoke addressing the others but never breaking our gaze.

"I would like it known that my son is more than worthy of any woman he desires. He is not the monster he is so quick to believe himself to be. He is kind, generous, and loyal. Any woman would be lucky to have his devotion." She said with reverence.

She smiled warmly at me and I nodded to her.

"I have known Edward many years now, Esme. You don't have to tell me what a fine man he is. He is the best of our kind to be sure. But you must recognize the potential dangers this poses for Isabella." Demetri said.

"We brought your family here hoping that you would take her and keep her safe but it seems that we have done nothing but complicated the situation even more." Demetri continued.

I listened to Demetri's thoughts. He didn't blame me for what happened and he held no ill feelings towards me. He instead blamed himself. The resounding thought that repeated in his mind was that he had failed as a father.

My heart broke for him in the moment. I glanced towards Heidi, expecting her to guess what he must be thinking and hoped that she would say something to sooth his pain. She didn't seem to be paying attention to his words and was instead thinking about Bella as a small girl. Picking her up when she fell down, singing her lullabies to sooth her to sleep, playing games as they sat on the floor in her room.

As I was scanning Heidi's thoughts and locking away the memories of Bella's childhood in my own mind, Demetri began to speak again. My attention turned back to his thoughts and I knew the words he was about to speak.

"Edward, I will trust you with my daughter. I know in my heart that you will love her and protect her for an eternity." He said to me.

Heidi returned to the present abruptly. She stood and faced Demetri.

"You have no right to just give our daughter over to him! How dare you! Have you gone insane? I will not allow you to do this, Demetri!" Heidi yelled.

Demetri came to stand in front of his wife. He grabbed her and crushed her to his chest, holding her tightly to him. Heidi's began to shake uncontrollably, her body racked with tearless, uncontrollable sobs.

"I can't give her up, Demetri. I can't go through with it. Please don't do this! I need to hold her just a little longer. Please don't take my baby from me," Heidi cried into his shoulder.

It was evident in her thoughts at that moment that she held no true anger towards me. She just had not yet come to terms with leaving her daughter, her most beloved alone in this world.

"Heidi, I promise to you, she will never be alone," I said softly hoping she would hear the conviction in my voice.

Her sobs eventually began to subside. She raised her head to look into Demetri's eyes.

"I love her," she quietly said to him. He nodded his acknowledgment and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Heidi pulled away from him and approached me. She reached her hand to the same cheek that Bella had touched moments ago.

"I'm afraid I cannot accept your apology, Edward," she informed me.

I took in a deep breath, expecting the worse.

"The reason I can't accept it is that you have nothing to apologize for. It is I that needs to apologize to you. As soon as I saw the unmistakable look of love in your eyes, I tried to make you believe that it was trick and that you should not be having these feelings for her. I thought you represented everything that I had struggled to protect her from for the last 16 years. I was wrong. You are everything I have always wanted for her. Please forgive me and treasure her always." Heidi stated.

Demetri came to stand behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Her head dropped in defeat and she turned to seek comfort in his arms once again.

Carlisle moved to stand next to me. He placed his arm around my shoulder.

_We leave it to you now. She is yours always. You will have my full support in any decision you and Isabella make from here on out. I am proud of you son,_ he thought to me.

Once the emotions in the room had settled, Heidi and Demetri began sharing with us the details of their plan.

Bella would leave with our family in two weeks, sooner should the need arise. After which, Heidi and Demetri would go to Volterra and provoke the Volturi Guard into killing them. They knew exposing themselves or taking a human within the walled city would be the quickest way to illicit immediate death from the Guard. The Volutri Leaders would not have time to question or torture them. It would be swift and over before the Leaders even learned of their demise.

With their death, Bella's location would die with them.

Carlisle and I noticed that Demetri still had not shared his suspicions or plans concerning James. He must have recognized that this would be a concern we would have.

He thought to me, still holding his wife in his arms,_ We will discuss James alone tomorrow._

I nodded my understanding.

"And where does Jasper fit into the plan?" Esme questioned.

Esme's thoughts were with Alice. She was worried that it was Jasper's intent to do something drastic as well. This possibility terrified her. She was overjoyed that Alice had finally found her mate and the thought of Alice's heart being broken was more than she could bare.

"Jasper is free of course to make his own choices. But knowing Jasper, I am sure he will be returning to Forks with your family if he is welcomed." Demetri assures her.

"Both Jasper and Isabella will be considered members of our family. We will accept them as our own children, I assure you," Carlisle said.

We decided to not tell Bella of Heidi and Demetri's plan until the last minute. That made me uneasy. Being completely devoted to her, I hated to hide anything from her. But I understood their reasoning. Bella would try to talk them out of it and when that failed, she would be willing to sacrifice herself to save her parents.

I left the others to return to my room to resume the previous plans I had for the evening. As I passed by Bella's bedroom door, I stopped to listen. Her breathing was soft and steady. I was glad that she slept peacefully.

I went to my room and laid across the bed. I began to allow my thoughts to drift to what my future might be like with Bella by my side.

I smiled.

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Chapter Notes:

So now we know the "Plan" Next chapter - be prepared to meet James and discover why the Cullens and Bollais haven't even begun to imagine the horrors he has planned for Bella.

Reviews good or bad are always welcomed. Questions and suggestions are fun as well.

Note: I am currently working on another story and have posted my first chapter. It is completely different from this one. I just woke up and had the idea and went with it. Check it out and tell me what you think. My first AH story. My focus is still with this story as I already have the entire thing in my head and just need to get it on "paper". With the new story I have no idea where it is going or what will happen next, but I think it has potential. Review it and let me know what you think.


	13. Motives

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight

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Warning – Graphic Situations contained in this chapter.

James POV

As I laid back on the pillow with my hands behind my head looking up at the swirl of red hair hanging around my face, a strong sense of disgust came over me. Disgust for the woman perched on top of me with my dick buried in her. Victoria had been fun for the last couple of decades but I never truly felt anything for her. She was merely something to keep me company when I had to lay low for fear of the Volturi. I knew her feelings for me were one of love as she tried desperately to convince herself that I loved her in return.

_Pathetic bitch,_ I thought to myself as I watched her riding me.

She feverishly worked above me trying to help me find my release so that she could, for a brief moment, pretend that it was a symbol of my love for her. I felt myself beginning to go soft and knew I needed to bring my dick back to life before she started to suspect anything. After all, if I was going to be successful in carrying out my plan, I needed her to believe I loved her so she would not question when I offered her up to the Volutri.

I closed my eyes letting my thoughts drift back to Isabella.

I flipped through the various scenes I had concocted in my mind over the last couple of years. Scenes of what it would feel like to fuck her, to feel her writhing in pain as I penetrated her with full force. I had often imagined forcing her to the ground, bed, whatever was convenient and taking her from behind violently having no regard for the physical pain I would cause, enjoying the feel of the soft skin ripping inside her, her screams of pain elating me. I imagined fucking her to near death and when I felt my release near I would pull her limp body back to my chest and sink my teeth into her neck draining the last remaining vestiges of life from her body.

As I imagined releasing inside of Isabella's lifeless body, I immediately released into Victoria causing her to scream out my name as she found her own release. Victoria dropped her spent body against mine and began whispering romantic musings in my ear.

I couldn't stand it. I threw her to the side needing desperately to get her off of me. My skin had begun to crawl.

I stood up from the bed and walked into the bathroom. I needed to get in the shower to rid my body of the stank odors of this latest round with Victoria. As I washed my body, I thought back over the past few weeks.

Of course I knew I couldn't kill Isabella. I had made a deal after all. But I did plan on having a little fun with her before handing her over. I figured that by the time I was done with her, she would be begging me to give her to him. I was doing her a favor really. At least she would be appreciative of her new home.

Being this close to obtaining my goal and possessing what I wanted more than anything had seriously interfered with my ability to keep up the charade with Victoria. My obsession was at fever pitch. All I could concentrate on was the fact that I was finally at the end of this game that began sixteen years ago.

/

I had returned to the house where I left the family of four the night before. Victoria and Laurant had grown a goddamned conscience that night and refused to play my little game with this family. They had no idea the pleasures they had missed out on.

As I walked through the front door I noticed there were no sounds of a crying baby. I was surprised at the fact that death had come so quickly for the infant. I looked on the floor at the boy I had fed on calling up the glorious memory of how sweet his blood had been. So sweet in fact, that I had lost control and nearly ripped through his entire neck with my teeth.

As I proceed down the hall, I stopped at the bedroom where I had left the mother tied to the bedpost. I closed my eyes and reminisced about the sweet game I had played with her. After tying her up, I let her watch as I held her son and drained him of blood. I could still hear her horrified screams in my mind. When I was done consuming the boy, I then proceeded to fuck the life out of the bitch mother.

Yes, Victoria and Laurant had truly missed out on a fun game.

I continued down the hall to the infant's room and walked to the crib. Nothing. The baby was gone. Confusion was my initial reaction but then I picked up on a scent in the room. It was faint and fading. I doubted that anyone but a skilled tracker such as myself would have picked up on it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath trying to determine if the scent was familiar to me. It only took me two seconds to recognize the distinct frangrance of magnolias.

_Fucking Jasper!_ I thought to myself.

I flew into a rage. I picked up and crushed anything within my reach, throwing insignificant human possessions about the room, crushing my own fists through the walls. I continued my rampage through the small house smashing and kicking anything I came into contact with including the bodies I'd left littering the floor. When I had finally settled down I began to consider what Jasper had done.

He had left with that fucking Volturi lackey and his bitch before sunrise that morning. They had been here and taken my prize. I had earned the right to eat that fucking baby alive! A fresh wave of rage came over me and I quickly reined it in knowing that I had to think this situation through. I knew they would have been on a plane, long gone by now, so picking up the scent and tracking them on foot would have just ended in a dead-end at the airport.

What I couldn't understand is why they would have taken the baby. Surely, they could have just called the authorities and left an anonymous tip. But I would have smelled if any other humans had been in this house. There had been no one else here outside of vampires. Besides, the authorities would not have left the bodies of the family strewn around just as I had left them.

I finally came to the conclusion that they must have drained the baby themselves, needing to feed before traveling back to Italy. Who could blame them, the baby did have the sweetest smelling blood I had experienced in my eighty three years.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my memory of the baby's scent. I took a deep breath and held it in, sorting through all the mingled smells in the air until I located the scent of the child. I opened my eyes, exhaled and began tracking. My hope was that they had discarded the remains somewhere close by and I could at least garner some type of meager satisfaction from gazing upon its dead body.

The trail led me all the way to the airport. The realization that they had taken the baby home with them hit me. Obviously feeding was not what they had planned. I couldn't understand it. What did they want with this insignificant human infant?

Admittedly, having no regard for human life myself, it did take me several days before it occurred to me what their motives must have been. When it did, I burst into hysterical laughter. Victoria and Laurant looked at me as though I were a crazy man.

_Goddamned weak assed vampires_, I laughed to myself.

I knew that the vampire couple had taken the baby as their own. Some of my kind still grieved for all the human shit they missed out on and this usually included having fucking babies. I explained my theory to Victoria and Laurant, laughing the entire time.

I eventually came up with a plan to track the Volturi prick and his whore and watch how it played out. I knew they wouldn't be able to resist eventually feeding on the child and I wanted to be there to gloat when they succumbed to their bloodlust. To see them tormented with by their own guilt.

I also considered the fact that they may not succumb and made a contingency plan to feed on the child myself and thereby teaching them a lesson that it was utter stupidity to think they could care for a human. Either way, it was supposed to have been quick. I had not planned on investing the time I had into this game.

Victoria got mouthy at one point, and accused me of dragging out this particular game because I had forgotten my humanity and watching the Bollai family from afar was bringing back that side of me or some such bullshit. Of course she didn't know what the fuck she was talking about. I let the game continue because there was nothing else to do - plan and simple boredom.

Laurant eventually tired of the game and left the coven. I knew Victoria wasn't going anywhere although she had threatened several times over the last two years after having seen my desire for Isabella grow as she become a young woman. But I would just turn on the charm or knock her around a bit, either way, she stayed.

/

I finished my shower, wrapped a towel around my hips, and went back to the bedroom. I half registered Victoria speaking to me but I was in no mood for her for bullshit.

I grabbed my phone from the bed side table and dialed the number. He answered after the second ring.

"The Cullens are in town paying Demetri's family a visit. You didn't tell me they would be involved," he spoke with aggravation in his voice.

"Well that's certainly an interesting development," I replied, while trying to consider how this was going to affect our plan.

"What the fuck do you mean 'interesting'? Aro and Marcus will never agree to killing Carlisle!" he yelled into the phone.

"Calm your ass down. The Cullen clan being in town only lends credence to our story of the Bollai's plan to overthrow them – strength in number. It's your fucking job to make sure Aro and Marcus fall in line and uphold the law. My job is to make sure there is a witness to support the claim," I said as I glanced towards Victoria who was making her way to the bathroom.

"And what about the girl? Don't forget our deal," he said.

"I haven't forgotten. She's as good as yours. You just worry about your end of the bargain. I won't call you again until it is time to strike so be ready," I said to him and hung up the phone.

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Chapter Notes:

Like I said, I had a whole week to write and the result was being able to get several chapters posted for you guys over the last few days. But this is the last chapter that I have written right now so there may not be another post for a little bit.

So was James's plan what you expected or a surprise? Am I spelling Laurant's name correctly (I'm much too lazy to go back and look it up)? LOL! Let me know. Love reviews J


	14. Promises

Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight

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Chapter 14 – Promises

BPOV

"_Shhhh," I am saying to Ash, softly running the brush down her side. She is becoming antsy, swaying back and forth between her right and left legs._

"_What is it, girl?" I ask her quietly trying to sooth her with my voice._

_I hear a noise from behind me. A low, almost inaudible growl. I turn swiftly. Before I know it I am soaring through the air, landing softly on a bed of hay at the far end of the stable. I look up to find him above me, pinning my body firmly beneath him. He is wearing the most glorious smile I have ever seen. His eyes are full of want, full of need, full of desire._

_I let out a sigh as his soft lips crush to mine. His hands securing my wrists and bringing them up above my head. His mouth desperate to consume my very being. His is kissing me hard as his tongue begins demanding entrance into my mouth. I welcome its entrance. Our tongues fight against each other, each wanting to claim dominance._

_Again he growls and pulls his mouth away from mine. I whimper at the loss of contact. My body instantly aching, begging for his return. The wait isn't long. His mouth begins working its way across my neck, my collarbone, his hands moving down to stroke along the sides of my body. I bring my hands down and wrap them in his beautiful hair. I pull roughly at his locks as my nails attempt to dig into his hard skin._

_He throws his head back and moans. His knees move between my legs and gently pushes them apart. He allows his weight to rest between my legs as his pelvis is slowly thrusting against my center. His hand makes its way under my shirt, over the delicate lace of my bra, while his mouth continues to lick, to taste my neck._

_I grasp his back pulling him closer to me, wanting to feel all his weight rocking against me, needing him to harden and speed his thrusting as his erection is hitting against that precious bundle of nerves at my core._

_His cold hands begin to kneed and grasp at my breasts. A cold finger circles my nipple and I scream._

"_Yes, Edward, please! MORE!"_

"Isabella, wake up!" a high pitched voice yelled out.

I immediately woke up, confused, groggy with sleep. I sat straight up in the bed and tried to focus on the wide golden eyes staring back at me as my bed is inexplicably shaking up and down.

"Where's the hay?" I croak.

Alice giggled.

The sleep-fog is finally lifting. I looked down at the shaking bed and find my sheet wrapped tightly around my left leg and see that the comfortable was thrown to the floor. I was still trying to make sense out of why the bed was shaking.

"That must have been some dream. Care to share?" Alice laughed at me. I looked at her and soon realized the reason for the bed shaking. She was bouncing up and down in excitement sitting next to me.

I pulled my pillow from behind me and covered my head with it and laid back down.

"Arrgggghhh, Alice," I moaned out loud from underneath the pillow, "what time is it?"

"Hmmmm, I'm not really sure," she admitted.

I peeked out from underneath the pillow to see the room was still dark. I removed the pillow from my face and glanced towards the window to see a very faint warm light in the sky. Dawn was just breaking.

I sighed and tossed the pillow to the side and sat up once again. I was ready to chastise Alice for waking me up but one look at the happiness on her face quickly melted my anger away.

She just looked so damned happy.

"Oh, Bella! This is the happiest day of my life! Please don't be upset that I woke you, but I just had to tell you about my night with Jasper!" She blurted out, her annoying bouncing increased with each syllable she spoke.

"Alright, Alice. Just give me a few minutes to wake up and you can tell me all the details about…." I abruptly stopped talking suddenly realizing what I was about to say.

"Scratch that, I definitely DO NOT want all the details. Anything that involves what you did with, did to, or did for my brother, is strictly prohibited." I clarified with a shudder.

"Well, it would only be fair since I just spent the last few minutes listening to you moaning and purring in your sleep about MY brother," she said matter-of-factly.

I gasped and flushed bright red to which Alice laughed in response.

Yes, I was well aware of my propensity for sleep talking. No secrets were safe with me around that was for sure. If I dreamt it, I said it for the world to hear. My roommate back at school chided me constantly for my sleep talking. Now it appeared I had progressed to sleep moaning as well since Edward came into my life.

I closed my eyes remembering the marvelous dream I had just had. A small smile came to my lips as I recalled the feeling of his mouth, his hands, his body on mine. And my anger at Alice suddenly returned realizing she had interrupted what was sure to be the most erotic dream I had ever experienced.

I opened my eyes and looked again to her excited, expectant face. The shaking bed beginning to bring forth a mild case of motion sickness.

"Alright, Alice. Give me a human minute and you can tell me all about," I relented, again forgetting my anger.

"Yay!" she squealed as I began getting up out of bed and walking towards the bathroom.

It wasn't long before we were both sitting on my bed while she relayed to me the events of the evening she had spent with Jasper. She thankfully left out the more intimate details for my benefit. We were laughing and giggling with each other. I ohh'd and ahh'd at the appropriate times. I watched in wonder as she spoke of my brother in the most loving of ways. She was truly in love.

I couldn't be happier for Jasper. He deserved all the love in the world. He deserved happiness. He deserved someone as warm and loving as Alice. She was his destiny.

"And the best news is he has agreed to come to Forks with you," she gushed.

She quickly brought her hand to her mouth as if she had misspoken. Her eyes were wide as she stared back at me waiting for my reaction. I was a bit confused as I reviewed the words in my head that she had just spoken.

"With me?" I asked her.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I wasn't supposed to say…I mean…your parents said…SHIT!" she exhaled.

"Tell me what's going on, Alice. I have to know," I whispered to her. A sense of dread washed over me. I had suspected something was being kept from me and I wanted answers.

Forks? It made no sense to me. Why would the Cullens be taking me to Forks? And why were my parents keeping it from me? I knew this was bad, very bad.

A gentle knock sounded on my door, interrupting my thoughts.

"Bella, we'll talk about it later, okay," she whispered next to my ear. Her voice so quiet I strained to catch all her words.

"No, Alice. Please tell me now," I begged her.

I looked at Alice and her eyes were filled with sadness, pity, and most startlingly, Fear. She just shook her head. She mouthed the words _I'm so sorry_ to me. My heart sank knowing whatever she had to say would forever change my life. I knew it in my heart. I could feel it in my soul. A tear escaped from my eye as I let out a shuddered breath.

_Yes, something wicked this way comes,_ I thought cryptically to myself.

Another knock sounded in the room.

I quickly wiped the tear from my cheek and announced towards the door, "Come in."

The door slowly opened to reveal Edward standing on the other side. He was standing there looking at me, his eyes soft and loving. He glanced to his sister and nodded his head. It appeared that they had exchanged a brief conversation with each other.

Edward was at my side at once. His hand lovingly stroked my tear-stained cheek.

"I will leave you two alone," Alice stated softly as she rose from my bed and left my room closing the door behind her.

Edward and I sat there on my bed staring into each other's eyes for an indeterminable length of time. My fear had made me too quickly forget about my wonderful dream of Edward. All I could do now was look pleadingly into his golden eyes, begging him silently to explain to me what was happening, begging him to reassure me that it would all be okay, that he would protect me.

"Bella, I promise you, I will never let anything happen to you. I will give my life to keep you safe," he said softly as he pulled me into his arms.

He began explaining it all to me. Everything. He told me of the danger I was in, my parents plan to send me away with the Cullens, my father's suspicions with regards to James. He told me my parent's plan to die.

I couldn't speak as my world came crashing down around me. I sobbed uncontrollably as he continued confessing everything to me. He held me tightly, never letting me go. I grasped him in my hands, my arms, as if he were all that could hold me to the Earth.

He continued holding me until my crying ceased. Once I had calmed down, he gently laid me back on my bed as he laid down next to me, his arms still wrapped tightly around my body.

"I promise I will find a way to save your parents, Bella. I swear to you. Trust in me, okay?" he told me.

I knew he was my protector now, he was my life now. He had my faith, my trust, and my love. He would save my parents as he promised and he would save me. I knew that without a doubt. I nodded and nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck. I felt safe once again. Sleep was calling to me. I began to slip back to my dream world as I listened to his reassurances.

"Sleep, my beautiful girl, my love" He whispered as he placed a kiss on the top of my head.

/

EPOV

"I promise we will pay for all the damage and for any lost revenue while the wall is being reconstructed," Jasper was saying into the phone as he and Alice came into the living room.

Alice walked past him and plopped down in a chair with a huff, a look of disappointment on her face.

I immediately started laughing out loud after reading Alice's thoughts. She gave me a menacing glare which only made me laugh harder and louder. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Thank you for your understanding and I apologize again. Salve," Jasper stated as he hung up the phone.

"What's wrong, Jasper?" Demetri questioned as he looked at me. I was gasping as I laughed uncontrollably.

Alice let out another exaggerated huff as Jasper began explaining how he and Alice had caused major damage to the inn during their overzealous attempt at lovemaking. If he could have blushed, he would have been red as a beet as he stood there stumbling over his words and fidgeting trying to explain to us. As he continued to explain, Alice kept letting out angry sounding huffs which just made me laugh harder as I saw in her thoughts that they never actually got to complete the act before the entire inn, guests and employees, came barging in to find out what had happened only to find a very naked Jasper and Alice looking down over a crumbled wall.

I was holding my gut as I bent over trying to control my guffawing.

_Keep laughing Edward. You'll be destroying much more than a wall when you are finally with Bella, I'm sure,_ Alice thought to me.

My laughing immediately ceased as I glared at her. My anger seethed and I let out a growl.

Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth as she realized the double meaning behind her words. She quickly came over to me and put her arms around my neck and hugged me to her.

_Oh God, Edward! I am so so sorry! I didn't mean it that way. I know you would never hurt Bella. Please forgive me, brother! _she pleaded to me with her mind.

I slowly allowed myself to relax into her hug. I wrapped my arms around her waist and muttered its okay.

Alice and I broke our embrace and looked back to the curious eyes in the room that were all questioningly staring at us now.

I just shook my head at them and they returned their attentions back to Jasper. He just stared back at them with anger in his eyes, daring them to say anything. Everyone burst out laughing. Jasper sighed and quietly took a seat in a vacant chair.

Alice looked up at me with sadness in her eyes and I bent down and kissed her cheek letting her know that I forgave her.

After all the laughter had calmed, we began relaying to Alice and Jasper our previous discussion.

I shared my feelings towards Bella with Jasper. He just chuckled and stated he already knew, explaining to my family his gift of empathy. I was relieved when he immediately accepted and seemed genuinely pleased with regards to my intentions towards his sister. He also made the decision to follow us to Forks.

"My only concern is waiting until the last minute to tell Bells," Jasper stated with a furrowed brow.

"To keep her in the dark just doesn't seem right to me. She has a right to know and she has a say in her future." He continued.

I read Jasper's thoughts and knew immediately how much he loved and respected his sister. His mind was troubled with all the possible reactions she would have by waiting until the last minute to explain, by not giving her a choice or say in the matter. He knew she hated being treated as a child and he was opposed to keeping something like this a secret from her. He wanted to prepare her for the worst but at the same time ensure she continued to hope for the best.

Everyone was silent, contemplating Jasper's words. I could hear Demtri and Heidi's thoughts as they considered the best course of action. Demetri finally decided. His yet-unspoken decision took me by surprise.

"Edward," he turned to speak to me, "She is yours and you are hers. You will decide when to tell her."

I nodded my agreement. Demetri turned to Heidi and grasped her hand in his and stroked her pained face.

Heidi glanced towards the grandfather clock in the corner.

"It will be dawn soon. Isabella will be waking shortly to tend to the horse. I think I will start her breakfast," she announced as she stood and turned to leave the room, Demetri followed.

"I think I'll go spend some time with her while she gets ready. She's to be my sister after all," Alice stated cheerfully. She rose and gave Jasper a small kiss and headed up the stairs to see Bella.

Esme and Carlisle took their leave as well. Dreary Forks seldom offered the opportunity to witness a beautiful sunrise so they made plans to spend the early morning hours atop a nearby hill.

Jasper and I remained and sat in silence for a few while, each of our thoughts were with Bella. It was comforting to know that I would have his support and his advice in what was to come.

I soon heard Alice and Bella talking with one another upstairs. I was glad that Bella would have Alice by her side just as I expected to have Jasper by mine. I had just begun to contemplate our future friendships when I heard Alice slip and tell Bella she was going to Forks with us.

"Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any," I said to Jasper.

"Just tell her the truth. And let her know you love her. That's the best advice I can give," Jasper told me with a sympathetic smile.

I nodded and made my way to Bella's room.

* * *

Thanks for being patient with me. I hope you enjoy. Please review and let me know what you think.


	15. Hope

Chapter 15 - Hope

* * *

BPOV

I awoke in my bed sometime later facing the window. The sun was streaming into the room but still seemed low in the sky. I must have dozed off just before dawn. I glanced over to the clock sitting on the table near my head.

8:22am.

Just 24 hours ago I was a carefree girl whose only concerns were school and friends. I laughed, I played, and I studied. I did all the things you would expect from a 16 year old child.

Just 24 hours ago I had the perfect family. Although different from others in unimaginable ways, they were perfect none the less. Devoted, loving – I never wanted for more. They were the family that every child deserved.

Just 24 hours ago I was a typical teen with plans for my future. All I wanted was to live a spectacular life filled with love, filled with friendships, and filled with happiness.

But my life had been changed. My world had been turned upside down in a matter of a few short hours. All I thought I wanted or didn't want for my future, all the plans I had made, all that I held dear, was threatened, on the verge of being torn apart. I could see no way to avoid the dangers we now faced. For the first time in my life I felt absolute hopelessness.

I reached up and brushed a single tear from my cheek.

Suddenly I felt a slight shift in the bed behind me. A hand came in contact with the back of my hair and began stroking it tenderly. I became aware of the arm that was wrapped tightly around my waist. I heard a soft but deep breath being drawn in, a slow exhale being released, and then I felt a small cool breath wash over my hair.

"Good morning, my Bella," he whispered softly next to my ear.

Edward.

I rolled my body over to face the other direction. My eyes met his and I immediately forgot my worries. I raised my hand to his face and began tracing the contours with my fingers – his brow, his cheek, his jaw, and his lips. He closed his eyes in response and sighed.

"You have no idea how wonderful that feels," he muttered and then brought his hand to my face, mimicking my actions.

We laid there for some time just touching, exchanging innocent brushes of each other's faces, hands, and hair. Reveling in the feel of each other.

I already knew that I loved this man and never wanted to face another sunrise without him by my side. But could we work? Could a human and a vampire exist together as equals, as lovers? I didn't have the answer to those questions.

"Will this work?" I voiced my concern.

"Yes," Edward replied firmly with conviction and without hesitation.

In his strong, simply reply, my hope for my future and for my family's future was restored. We would make "us" work somehow. Together, we would figure out this unholy mess with the Volturi and build a future for ourselves and find a way for my family to remain intact. I believed in him and I believed in us.

I hoped.

It was in Edward's arms where I found Hope once more. It was time to stop mourning the life that could have been. It was time to grow up and face what was coming.

Edward rolled onto his back and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his chest and snuggled against his side while his arms held me tightly.

"I never thought this could be possible," Edward spoke as if speaking to himself.

He was right, we were so very different. There was no denying the inherent dangers in us being together. I would have only two choices in order to remain with him – become a vampire or die. But I knew that I would welcome either outcome, any accompanying pain if it meant being able to love this man for the rest of my life and have his love in return. I didn't want him doubting that we should try. I needed him.

"I may not be as strong as you and I understand that we are different…" I began in a pleading tone. I didn't want him to give up on the possibility so quickly. I needed him to at least try.

Edward chuckled softly and interrupted me, "I wasn't referring to me being a vampire and you a human, my Bella. I just never thought I would fall in love with another," he explained.

"Regardless of our differences I would like to try to be together. I can't imagine my life without you now. There has to be a way. If you love me too, that is?" He finished.

I quickly raised my head from his chest and sat back on my knees looking down at him.

"I love you, Edward Cullen. Never, never doubt that," I stated with conviction.

He quickly sat up and grasped my face in his hands and brought my lips to his. I moved to straddle his lap. His hands began roaming down my back while my hands went to his hair. I pulled his face to mine and began kissing him. Our lips feverishly worked together, tasting, consuming as they connected over and over again. His tongue ghosted over my lower lip. I allowed my mouth to open slightly granting him entrance. My hips rocked into his lap as I continued grasping his hair. He brought his hands down to either side of my hips and lifted me up slightly and flipped me quickly onto my back. He continued kissing me softly but urgently. His hands began making their way from my hips up my sides until they brushed softly up the sides of my breasts. Needing oxygen, I pulled my lips from his and turned my head slightly to the side. A soft moan escaped my lips as I did.

Edward pulled away from me immediately and sat up on the bed looking down at me. I was saddened at the loss of contact. He smiled down at me appearing apologetic.

"Perhaps we need to work through a few things before we go any further," he said, "I can't ever lose control with you, Bella."

I reached my hand up and cupped his cheek giving him a reassuring smile.

"We will figure it out together," I responded.

He nodded his head returning my smile and bent down and placed a small kiss on my forehead. Suddenly he raised his head and glanced towards the bedroom door. He let out a small laugh.

"Hear something funny, Mr. Cullen?" I asked him teasingly, assuming he had read a thought from the others.

He looked back down at me and gave me a crooked smile. He stood up from the bed and offered me his hand to assist in helping me to stand.

"Let's just say we probably shouldn't push Jasper any farther this morning," Edward informed me as I rose from my bed and found my footing in front of him.

I suddenly realized that Jasper must have felt the emotions coming from my room – love, lust, passion. He was probably trying very hard in that moment to contain his urges of storming into my room in an attempt to protect my virtue. I was immediately embarrassed and began to blush at the thought of Jasper being privy to the overwhelming desire I had felt moments ago while kissing Edward.

I glanced up to Edward and saw his focus was once again on something beyond this room. He had a look of confusion on his face as his brow furrowed.

"To hell with Jasper," I whispered as I stood on my tiptoes and grabbed the back of Edward's head, pulling him into another passionate kiss.

I knew his thoughts were once again with me, in my room, when he allowed his body to relax into mine and returned my kiss. He moaned softly against my lips as our kiss deepened. His right hand grazed down my spine and came to rest on my lower back as his other hand grasped the back of my head holding me firmly to his lips.

His breathing became rapid as the kiss intensified. Suddenly, he pulled back once more and I looked up into his lust hooded eyes.

"We really need to make our way downstairs, my love. Both our families are getting a bit uncomfortable with me being up here with you," Edward said.

I nodded my agreement but pursed my lips in a pout.

Edward chuckled and pulled me into a hug, "My beautiful girl, I am so looking forwarding to spending the remainder of my days providing for your every want and every desire. Unfortunately, we need to speak with our families sooner rather than later. I believe I may have a plan for getting us all out of this mess safely and I will need your help convincing them."

He was right. I needed to talk to my mother and father. No more secrets, no more lies. I was a part of this and I wanted to help and to plan. I wanted to protect my new family and my new life. I wanted to do anything I could to make sure we all made it out of this together, intact, and unharmed.

Only 24 hours later, that sheltered girl whose only concerns were of trivial, insignificant things realized that Fate had other plans for her. It may not have been what she had imagined for her future but it was a beautiful future none the less. It was worth the fight.

Only 24 hours later, that girl who thought she already had the perfect family was proven wrong. The Cullens had completed her family. It had grown in size and in that had grown in devotion and love for her. Others were now standing beside her, ready to protect her at all costs.

Only 24 hours later that girl, who had never experienced or truly desired a man's love, was finally feeling it for the first time. She was consumed by it, set afire by it. That girl had finally felt Love's warmth, Love's desire, Love's power. That girl realized that she could devote the remainder of her life to a single person in the name of Love.

We made our way downstairs, hand in hand, united.

/

EPOV

_Edward, I know you love her and I support the relationship, but I am begging you to take things slow,_ Jasper's thoughts rang out.

For the last two hours as I lay in bed with Bella asleep in my arms, I had been listening to a steady bombardment of our families' thoughts. Their thoughts were laced with warnings, with concerns for the future, concern for Bella's wellbeing. As I listened, I began to doubt that I could make this work. I had begun to ponder all the possibilities, all the choices I had to make. I knew above my own want and need for Bella, I had to keep her safe. Safe not only from the immediate threat of the Volturi, but also safe from myself. I would still be her protector but I knew it was folly to think we could be anymore.

I had started planning what I would say to her when she awoke; planning on how I would tell her that we could not be together in the way we both wanted so very much. That's when I heard the single thought that drowned out all the others in the crowded home. The thought that made me realize that I could make this work. That Bella and I could make "us" work together. The thought that reassured me that Bella was my one true destiny.

"I love you, Edward," she mumbled quietly in her sleep.

I glanced down at the sleeping angel nestled in my arms and smiled. I reached up a hand and stroked her beautiful hair. I placed my lips close to her ear.

"I love you, my Bella," I whispered in response.

Those three little words she had spoken out loud strengthened my resolve. I knew beyond a doubt that I would be able to cherish this woman for the rest of my days. She had restored Hope once again.

To my disappointment, Bella began to stir from her slumber. As much as I had been looking forward to her awakening, I found myself hoping that she may sleep just a bit longer. I wanted to hear more of what she was dreaming, what she was thinking while asleep. It was my only glimpse into her thoughts and it thrilled me.

When Bella awoke, we found ourselves kissing and touching one another with abandon. It was the most glorious feeling to have her caressing my cold skin. Jaspers thoughts rang out above all the others. There was no anger in his tone as I would have expected from an overprotective brother. However, there was fear and concern.

I tried to rein in my passion to spare him from feeling what his beloved sister did to me. It was not an easy task. The feel of Bella's lips on my skin, her touch, her scent, was all beyond what any words could describe. She awoke something in me that I never knew existed. I always assumed I understood what Passion felt like when heard in the thoughts of others. But now, after more than a century of only imagining what it would be like to find Love, I realized I knew absolutely nothing. Bella was showing me, teaching me what Love truly was. And it was the single most amazing experience I had ever known. I finally believed what Esme and Alice had been telling me for decades – Love is the reason for all we will ever do in our lives. It is the reason we continue on, it is what pushes us forward. Love is what shapes us to be the person we are destined to be.

Love is the reason for our existence.

Bella and I eventually found the willpower to pull away from each other and arose from her bed. We both knew that it was time to begin preparing for what was to come. We needed to plan our families' next move to avoid the pending Volturi attack.

As we stood next to her bed, I heard Jasper once again. This time his thoughts were not directed towards me but seemed to be visions of his past.

_Abigail_, he thought.

I saw a brief picture of a lovely, petite girl with flaxen colored hair, alabaster skin, and sparkling blue, wide eyes. She was dressed in a hooped skirt that was green and red plaid with matching bodice. She donned a green silk bonnet that was secured with a wide red ribbon tied under her delicate, pointed chin. I saw Jasper picture in his mind this girl walking down a gray cobbled stone street towards him. The Sun was bright overhead and a light breeze swirled around them. I saw her pass by Jasper, they made eye contact, and the girl smiled at him. Then the vision quickly disappeared.

_We need to speak as soon as possible, brother. I may be able to help answer some of your questions on how you and Bella can be together without destroying her,_ Jasper thought to me.

Jasper's thoughts confused me. What could he know about a human and vampire relationship? Had he had some experience with this in the past? Was his experience related to this girl Abigail that I saw in his mind? I was anxious to get Jasper alone so I could learn as much as possible from him. I was desperate to know how I could love Bella without causing her harm.

After a finally kiss, Bella and I made our way downstairs to join the others, hand in hand.

* * *

Are you excited to find out who Abigail is and hear Jasper's past? Does this story have too many plot twists to keep up with? Do you have theories on what and whom James is plotting with? Does my writing technique suck and you have some suggestions for me? Or are you just in desperate need of some Rose and Emmett happy times? Whatever it is, please review and let me know. Some of the best story ideas come from reviews. Your input can only make _our_ story better!


	16. Vows

Chapter 16 – Vows

EPOV

I watched as Bella sat stiffly perched on a bar stool in the Bollai's kitchen. She only nibbled at the food in front of her. The expression on her face told me she was stressed with the situation and deep in thought. I would have given anything to be able to read her mind so I might attempt to put her concerns to rest.

I looked around the room to see all eyes were focused on either Bella or me. The thoughts that swirled around the room varied. Demetri and Carlisle were working through the plans they had made during the night on how to get Bella out of Italy safely. Heidi was thinking about the ramifications of Bella and my blossoming relationship. And my mother Esme was watching Bella eat with great intensity.

I couldn't help but to smile at what I heard in my mother's thoughts. Her thoughts were concerned with attending cooking classes once back in Forks. She seemed determined to learn to prepare human meals for Bella. Only my sweet, dear mother would be concerned more with caring for her future daughter instead of the more pressing issues we were facing. I saw that Esme had no doubts concerning the Volturi. She was convinced that her family would come out of this intact and together.

Alice was the only one who seemed to be focused on something other than Bella or me. Her thoughts were with Jasper as they stood hand in hand near the doorway. And while Jasper appeared to be completely engaged with Alice, he was directing his thoughts towards me.

As I read his thoughts, I continued to see brief glimpses of the southern belle he had projected early this morning while I laid in bed with Bella. I was anxious to learn Jasper's story, to hear what advise he could offer me on how to protect and love Bella.

_We need to talk soon_, he thought as he turned his head slightly towards me.

I nodded to him in reply.

"Heidi, I wondered, how do you know when the food is done? How can you tell that it is cooked all the way through?" Esme inquired with a baffled tone in her voice as she continued to stare intensely at the food in front of Bella.

All eyes, all thoughts immediately focused on Esme and, what seemed to them, a bizarre question given everything else we were facing.

"Umm, well Esme," Heidi began to explain, seeming somewhat confused by the question, "I suppose you just get a feel for it after a while. Mostly, it is a matter of color and consistency. Oh, and of course, lots of take out," Heidi replied earning several low keyed chuckles from the others in the room.

Everyone except Bella that is.

Bella sighed loudly with irritation. She purposefully dropped her fork to the plate in front of her. The fork made a loud clanging sound as it came into contact with the china. That sound demanded everyone's attention.

"I am going to tend to Ash. When I return, we are all going to sit down and talk," Bella announced to her audience sternly. She turned to her parents and met their eyes with a piercing glare.

"It's time you tell me everything and what your plans are. I refuse to be kept in the dark any longer," she said to them.

Heidi placed her hand in the crook of Demetri's arm and looked up at him with concern in her eyes. Demetri patted her hand and smiled a soft reassuring smile at her.

"You're right my dearest. It is time we told you everything. Perhaps we shouldn't have kept it from you for so long. Understand though, your mother and I have only ever wanted to protect you," Demetri informed Bella.

Bella hopped from the stool, ran to her parents, and wrapped her arms around them. They stood there embracing each other for a long moment before Bella pulled away and looked up into her parents' faces.

"I do understand. And I love you, always. But it's time for me to hear all the details and all the plans so I can help. I refuse to give you both up without a fight," Bella informed them.

Bella turned towards me.

"Would you like to go with me and meet Ash?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

I saw the tears welling in her eyes as she forced a smile onto her face. I nodded in response to her question and walked to her side, taking her hand in mine.

"I think I might go with you to the stable," Jasper announced.

He kissed Alice's cheek and told her he wanted a moment to speak with Edward. Alice smiled and nodded her approval. I'm sure Alice had already seen the conversation Jasper and I were to have. She graciously let him leave while she stayed behind even though I heard in her thoughts how much it pained her to be without him for even the shortest of time.

A short while later I found myself standing against the fence of the horse's exercise area with Jasper. We were careful to keep our distance so as not to spook the horse. I was amazed when Jasper was able to approach the horse slowly and cautiously at one time. The animal even allowed him to place his hand on her neck. Jasper explained that he had been practicing for years with that mule of a horse, taking a kick to the midsection more times than he cared to mention. It was obvious the two held no love for each other but only tolerated one another for the sake of Bella.

We watched on as Bella groomed and then led the horse around the fenced area. My heart filled with a sense of pride as I watched Bella interact with the animal. She was truly an accomplished equestrian it seemed. It was apparent in the way Ash hung on Bella's every word and followed her every command, that she loved Bella very much. It was obvious that the horse had only one goal in life – to earn Bella's praise and love. I smiled thinking how I wasn't much different from the horse.

"I'm going to tell you my story, Edward," Jasper announced.

I turned my attention to Jasper, anxious to hear what he had to say. Hoping to garner some of the answers to the questions I held with regards to Bella and me.

I nodded, signaling him to continue. He began thinking back to a time long ago.

/

JPOV

_Abigail Davies._

_It was 1859 and Abigail Davies was the daughter of Jefferson Davies, the richest cattle rancher in three counties. Abigail was by far the prettiest girl in town. She was the dream of every young gentleman. Constantly pursued by would -be suitors. Most of them were more interested in her family money than they were in her. But she showed no interest in any of them, ignoring and dismissing their advances._

_For Abigail's heart already belonged to someone. And his heart belonged to her._

_Unlike Abigail, I was the son of the poorest farmer in three counties. Your typical hardluck story – alcoholic father, older brother hand-me-downs, and dead mother. At the age of eighteen, I was a fledgling cattle rustler. My life was headed in the wrong direction with my only concern being to make a quick buck. _

_That was until I met Abigail._

_It was late, a very dark night. I was crouched behind an outcropping located in a small hill overlooking the Davies' cattle ranch. Concealed by thick brush, I sat there for some time studying the ins and outs of the ranch planning the best route to silently lead a few head of cattle away from the ranch to sell later profit. I never even heard the approaching footsteps until it was too late._

_Abigail had done what no man ever could. She had managed to sneak up on me and place a gun to my head. Somehow I managed to charm my way out of the sights of her shotgun and it wasn't long after that I found myself sitting under an ancient oak tree growing atop that hill, talking until dawn to this beautiful, enchanting woman._

_In the coming weeks, we found ourselves secretly meeting every evening beneath that very tree. We would talk, hold hands, and share our hopes and desires. Abigail would talk of Destiny often. She truly believed that all things happened for a reason and we were meant to find one another. _

_It was on that hill, under that oak, that I fell in love with Abigail Davies and she, miraculously, fell in love with me. _

_Abigail had been my savior. I turned my back on the life of crime I had been living and set about finding a way to make an honest wage and provide for Abigail and the family I envisioned for us once married. I spent my days trying to restore my family's farm to what it had been before my mother's death. I borrowed and begged for the money from local merchants and bankers promising shares of the spring crops. I spent my days plowing fields, planting seeds, and rebuilding barns and grain silos. I toiled relentlessly during the day and spent my evenings with Abigail under our tree. _

_Spring came and the crops produced. I was able to pay back my debts and make a small but significant profit. I had also managed to make a reputable name for myself in town. I knew the time had come for me to ask Abigail's father for her hand in marriage._

_The great Jefferson Davies said no of course reminding me that I was nothing but a small time farmer and would never be good enough for his daughter. He told Abigail if she married me she would be subjecting herself to a lifetime of heartache and poverty. He ordered me off his property or he would have me drug out and shot. I left without a fight but not before slipping a note into Abigail's hand instructing her to meet me under the oak the following night with a satchel full of travel clothes._

_I spent the next day and early evening pacing the floors of my farmhouse, anxiously waiting for the hour when I was to meet Abigail. After finishing what was to be my final meal in the old farmhouse, I washed up and packed my own satchel full of travel clothes, the money I had saved, and anything else of value that could be bartered or sold along our journey. I sat out on my horse, riding along the beaten trail that ran the five miles between the end of my property and the beginnings of the Davies Ranch._

_I never made it to the old oak. _

_I was ambushed along the trail by an unknown vampire and left for dead. I spent three days and nights writhing in pain there on the dusty ground in the middle of nowhere. After my transformation was complete, I made my way back to my farmhouse. _

_Over the next several days I drained the blood from all the livestock kept on the farm. When all the animals were depleted, I made a trip into town just before dawn and began picking off the locals. Once the townspeople started noticing the number of missing persons escalating, I began traveling over the border to Mexico for my nightly hunts. During the day I hid in the farmhouse trying to avoid contact with others should I lose control. That is how it went for two months' time._

_I spent most of my time thinking about Abigail, aching for her touch, her smile, her laugh. But mostly I thought of the broken heart she must have had. I left her waiting for me under that tree. I tortured myself with thoughts of how she must have felt when I never showed up that night. Never came to take her away to be my wife as I had promised to do. _

_One night I found myself walking along the familiar path that led to our oak tree. I don't recall deciding to go there, had made no plans to do so, but there I was passing the spot where I had been attacked, continuing further until I had reached the bottom of the hill, making my way to the top to find my oak still standing strong against the starlit sky. That night, to my utter surprise I saw Abigail sitting underneath the tree. I watched her from a distance for what seemed like an eternity. She just sat there, quietly and still. She was still waiting me._

_I began visiting the oak every night, hoping to catch a glimpse of my beloved. And every night I would find her there, sitting and waiting. This went on for almost a month. Then one night she spoke out loud._

"_I know you're there," she barely whispered._

_Before I knew what was happening, before I could rationalize to myself all the reasons why I should let this girl go for her own safety, I replied to her statement._

"_How did you know I was here?" I asked._

_She turned her head towards the sound of my voice. She appeared to have aged ten years since the last time I looked into her face. It broke my dead heart to know that I had caused her this much pain._

"_Because you are my destiny, Jasper," she said matter-of-factly._

_We talked from a distance for many hours that night. I never showed myself to her and opted to remain hidden in the shadows. She didn't seem to mind. She remained patient and didn't press for answers I wasn't prepared to give her. She asked me why it took so long for me to come back to this place. I told her I had become a different man, tried to explain to her that I was a monster now and I feared hurting her. She assured me that she trusted me and thought me incapable of harming her. She let me know that she still loved me and would do so until the day she died. I let her know that I had never stopped loving her and promised to do so for an eternity._

_We continued meeting like that every night. Abigail nestled under the oak and me hidden in the shadows. It was as if we had come full circle and were starting over from the beginning. It was as if I had been given a second chance at the only life I had ever wanted. Could I still have that life I had dreamed of? Could she be safe with me?_

_On what was to end up being our last night meeting under the old oak, I arrived to find Abigail not sitting underneath the tree but instead standing in my usual hiding spot at her feet rested a satchel. I approached her with great caution but still maintained my distance. _

"_Please come to me, my love," she whispered towards me with her hand outstretched._

_I slowly walked towards her. Soon I found myself stepping out of the shadow. The moonlight above shown down on my pale, cold, dead skin. I closed my eyes anticipating the scream that never came. After a moment I opened my eyes to find her standing directly in front of me. She was looking up into my crimson eyes with no apparent fear. She smiled sweetly at me and brought her hand up to rest on my cheek. _

"_I, Abigail Davies take you, Jasper Whitlock to be my husband," she said and stood on her tip toes and cautiously placed a small kiss on my lips._

_I placed my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me._

"_For better or worse and in sickness and in health" she continued._

_She wrapped her arms around my neck as I lifted her to cradle in my arms._

"_For all the days of my life," she concluded._

_I knelt and grabbed her bag and began running toward my farmhouse with her in my arms. As I ran, I made my vows to her._

_We spent that evening as if it were truly our wedding night. I never felt the thirst, was never overwhelmed with desire for her blood. I never caused her any pain, never left any marks. All I felt, all I craved that glorious night was the touch of her skin, the sound of her voice, the warmth her mouth. We made love until dawn broke._

_By the time the sun was fully rose in the sky, my beautiful bride had fallen asleep in my arms. I laid there holding her, imagining our future together. I had never been happier than I was in that moment. I closed my eyes, sighed contentedly. That is when the gun shot rang out followed by the sound of shattering glass. _

_I instinctively threw my body over Abigail's to protect her. She screamed out as another shot rang out and the front door was smashed opened. I looked up to see several men rushing into the farmhouse with guns drawn and aimed towards us. I knew I could take these men down with little effort but I was concerned with Abigail's safety should they get in a single shot before I attacked. _

"_Get your ass up boy! Mr. Davies would like a word with you!" the bigger of the three shouted at me. _

_I rose from the bed and moved to the side to draw the aim of their pistols and rifles away from Abigail's direction before I decided to strike. But they started firing immediately. Apparently they had no intent of taking me to the fine Mr. Davies. Murder was the only clear agenda. As the gun fire started, I moved with vampire speed towards them. I felt their feeble bullets ricocheting of my stone like skin. Within a second, I had closed the distance between us and had ripped their throats out. _

_I smiled as the bodies fell to my feet. I felt a familiar thirst rise up in my throat as I gazed down at the blood on my hands. I wanted badly to taste them, to rip into their flesh with my teeth. I was beginning to kneel down when Abigail spoke._

"_Jasper," she cried out._

_I looked behind me and saw Abigail sitting up in the bed. I saw the small stream of blood running down from her chest. I rushed to her just as she was falling back onto the pillow and grabbed her head. One of the ricocheting bullets had struck her in the chest._

"_No, please, no, please God, no," I kept repeating over and over as I held her head to my chest._

_I looked down at her face and pleaded with her to stay with me, to never leave me. _

"_What do I do Abby, please tell me what to do?" I asked her as I stroked her face._

_She smiled at me and grabbed my hand in hers._

"_You hold me tight and then you let me go," she told me._

"_No!" I screamed at her, "I can change you. You can be like me," I pleaded with her._

"_No, my darling husband, promise me you won't. This is my destiny and yours has yet to be revealed. You will go on and have an extraordinary life and find your own destiny. Thank you for giving me more happiness and more love than I ever imagined possible," she told me._

_I kissed her lips once more before pulling her to my chest and holding her in my arms until death took her. I continued to hold her lifeless body until the farmhouse was once again bathed in darkness. I held my wife until day broke once again. _

_I eventually found the strength to carry Abigail to the top of our hill where I buried her beneath our oak tree. _

/

"And what of Abigail's father?" Edward asked me.

I came back to the present and looked at Edward and smiled.

"In all my 150 years, I have yet to enjoy a meal as much as I enjoyed that one," I said with a wink.

Edward chuckled.

"And have you found your destiny yet?" Edward asked.

"Yes, I believe I finally have," I replied as I turned towards the house in time to see Alice coming out the door heading in our direction.

She approached the two of us with vampire speed and was in my arms within seconds.

"Sorry it took so long for me to find you," she said as she placed a small kiss on my lips.

"I would say you were right on time, my love," I informed her.

Edward began shaking his head with a look of confusion on his face.

"Alright, Jasper. I don't get it. I thought you were going to tell me something to make me believe that Bella and I can make this work. To give me answers on exactly HOW we were going to make this work. Instead I get tragedy?" Edward said with apparent frustration.

"Don't you see, brother? As a vampire, I loved a human. I loved her deeply. And it was that loved that made it an absolute impossibility for me to ever even conceive of harming her. We were together as husband and wife and not once did I have to overthink the situation, not once did I experience thirst. All I knew was the happiness of the moment and the love I felt for her," I explained to Edward.

"But more importantly, I need you to understand that despite my own desire to keep Abigail with me always, in the end, I respected her wishes. When she asked me to let her die as is the destiny for all humans, I let her go. I allowed the choice to be hers. One day you will be faced with the same decision I was faced with. And in that moment you will need to set aside your own wants and desires and allow Bella to choose her own destiny," I finished.

Edward nodded and turned to watch Bella leading Ash around the exercise area.

"She's your destiny, Edward," Alice said, placing her hand on her brother's shoulder.

* * *

So what did you guys think about my twist on Jasper's backstory? Loved it, hated it? Stay tuned for the next chapter. Plans are going to start unfolding and the action is going to begin. Will Edward be able to save Bella from the Volturi? Will Demetri be able to kill James? And more importantly, will Jasper and Alice manage to destroy another hotel with their hot vampire lovemaking (please, oh please)?


	17. Flames

I always forget this part….Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight… duh!

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Chapter 17 – Flames

APOV

"Absolutely not!" Bella yelled through her tears.

She had begun sobbing and protesting as soon as the words left Demetri's mouth. Demetri and Heidi planned to die to hind their secret. To hide their beloved daughter.

"You're not…I won't let you…I'd rather die myself!" Bella stammered.

Edward and Bella were sitting on the sofa in the great room of the Bollai's home. Edward pulled Bella into his arms and held her head to his chest, gently rocking her in an attempt to comfort her. Demetri watched Bella shaking in Edward's arms with an anguished expression on his face. He turned away and began looking out the window.

"Bella, you must understand. It is the only way to keep you safe. Your mother and I are willing to do whatever it takes to keep your existence and whereabouts a secret," Demetri spoke quietly.

We had all anticipated this reaction from Bella once they told her they planned to die. Edward had already discussed this possibility with her and made promises to her that he would help them escape with their lives.

He was a fool to have done that. How could he promise her something like that? Edward had me working through every possible scenario trying to find a way for her parents to come through this and I hadn't been able to find anything.

I had seen what I assumed to be Bella as a vampire at the Volturi's side. I had seen the pain of her death marked on Edward's face in the future. I had seen the death of us all in one form or another. No scenario or decision I tried had produced an outcome with every single one of us making it out of this mess unscathed.

Edward continued pressuring me to come up with a solution. It was mentally exhausting for me. For every possible decision there was, what seemed to be, an infinite number of subsequent decisions that needed to be made before I could see the outcome. And of course, with Bella being involved and blocking me, the final outcome was never a certainty. It was always full of holes and doubts.

The only certainty I could find in the endless barrage of visions was that one or more of us were going to die. Edward refused to make a decision on which path to follow because it always led to someone's death. I would gladly sacrifice myself for my family, for the Bollais, for Jasper but I had already seen the outcome of my sacrifice and it made no difference. It just delayed the inevitable.

I continued to run through scenarios and finally hit upon one that had the potential to save as many of us as possible. A decision that ultimately contained a happy ending for those that survived. While I too was pained at the thought of any one of us meeting our end, I knew there was no other way. Surely he would understand that. I glanced to Edward hoping for the reassurance that this was the decision we needed to make.

I glanced over at Edward who still held Bella to him. He was already shaking his head slightly, his eyes pleading with me to continue searching, letting me know that this was not an acceptable outcome. I gave him a slight nod to let him know I would keep trying. I continued my search while listening to the others around me.

Heidi rose from her seat across from Bella and Edward. She went and knelt in front them, placing her hand on her daughter's head.

"It is the only way," Heidi said quietly while stroking Bella's hair.

Bella lifted her head from Edward's chest. Her eyes were red and swollen and her cheeks tear-stained.

"Edward promised that he is going to save us all." She says looking from her mother's eyes to Edward's face for affirmation.

Edward gave her an unsure smile. Heidi sighed with frustration and rose to her feet looking down at Bella.

"What can Edward do against the Volturi? I have serious doubts that he can keep you safe much less your father and I as well," Heidi said angrily.

Bella stood quickly to stand face-to-face with her mother. The sadness on her face replaced with a look of anger.

"Edward loves me. He will do everything in his power to protect me. He's willing to …" Bella stops mid-sentence.

"Die? Is that what you were going to say, Bella? He's willing to die to protect you? How very noble of him," Heidi said with disgust and turned and walked away.

Having realized that she was about to commend Edward for his willingness to do for her the very thing she was arguing with her parents for planning to do, Bella returned to her seat beside Edward. Her eyes were downcast in shame.

I desperately continued my search for a way out of this while sparing all involved. Nothing was working. I kept coming back to the vision I had a moment ago. I knew this decision would ensure Bella's safety as well as Edward's, Jasper's and mine. But I couldn't be certain of the Bollai's future. It was possible that I couldn't see their future because they were already so committed to die. What worried me most though is that I couldn't see my own parents' future. I should have been able to see either their deaths or their survivals but there was nothing.

_It could mean that Bella is with them blocking my ability,_ I thought to Edward as I noticed his gaze had once again fallen on me.

_Since we know she isn't with you,_ I thought to him cautiously knowing how much pain that knowledge must be causing him.

_Are we willing to take that gamble?_ I questioned him.

Edward glanced down at Bella with a pained expression on his face. He then looked back to me and nodded reluctantly.

_We will need to keep some of the details from her and discuss with the others later_, I warned him. He gave me a half-smile assuring me he understood and then his head turned quickly towards Carlisle.

"We need to separate and run," I said out loud for the all to hear.

All eyes suddenly looked towards me. All but Carlisle and Edward, who appeared to be having a silent conversation with one another.

"Have you had a clear vision, Alice? Esme questioned.

"No. They are still broken, full of holes for the most part," I responded.

"I do know that I can envision our futures and we are safe just not together," I continued to explain.

I looked towards Edward once again and he began to speak.

"Alice and I have been trying to work through her visions together. It's been like a jigsaw puzzle. But it does seem that this is our only option at this point," Edward said.

"Who will I be with?" Bella asked Edward.

Edward looked at Bella with a forced smile that did not reach his eyes. Before Edward could respond, Carlisle began to speak.

"I believe I understand where this may be going. If we split up and not one grouping knows where the other is, then we can conceal Bella's location." he said.

Carlisle looked to Bella. She has a concerned look on her face.

"We will all be safe my child, we just won't all be together." he said hoping to reassure her. "In time we can regroup but for now, we separate."

Bella smiled at him and turned to Edward expectantly. He forced a smile once again to add credence to Carlisle's words.

"Who is to go with whom?" Jasper asked.

I began to explain how, in the beginning, I envisioned Bella, Edward, Jasper, and I together. Our parents are somewhere else. Then I told them that later I saw different groups together. I agreed with Carlisle's deduction that this could be an indication that we regroup later. I did caution them that I was basing Bella's presence on the holes I had in my visions but I was certain she was safe and unharmed.

"The only problem I see is that it won't work if we are tracked", Carlisle says turning to Demetri.

"You mean as in a vampire tracker, Carlisle?" Heidi questions. Carlisle nods.

"The Volturi do not employ any trackers that I know of. And even if they did, they would have to know Isabella, would have had to come in contact with her to be successful," Heidi says. "We have always kept her away from other vampires so I don't see how there is a possibility of a tracker knowing of her existence and…" Heidi stops.

She followed Carlisle's gaze to her husband who was staring at the floor.

"What are keeping from me, Demetri?" She asked him. Demetri looked up at his wife with apologetic eyes.

"James," Heidi whispered.

Heidi brought her hands to her mouth, closed her eyes, and began shaking her head. She walked to the other side of the room and stood facing the wall for some time apparently trying to compose herself before speaking. Demetri moved towards her.

"I am sorry my love. I wanted to shield you from this knowledge until it became necessary to tell you, until I was certain of my suspicions," Demetri began while moving to his wife's side.

"I have discovered that it is James that has tipped off the Volturi and it would appear he has been tracking her since the day we took her as our own." Demetri continued to explain.

He arrived at Heidi's back and reached out placing a hand on her shoulder. Heidi turned quickly to face her husband while her hand came into sharp contact with his left cheek. As her palm made contact with Demetri's cheek, a sound like two larges stones breaking against one another echoed through the house. Demetri stumbled a few small steps backwards but maintained his balance. He was wearing a look of absolute shock on his face.

"How dare you keep this from me? You've known that he has been tracking her all these years and said nothing?" Heidi yelled at her husband.

"No, you must believe me, I only recently found that he has been tracking her. I had my suspicions that he may have been the one that told the Volturi but I was not certain until last night," Demetri began pleading with his wife to understand.

"James?" Bella spoke quietly interrupting her parent's argument.

Demetri and Heidi turned to look at her.

"The one that killed my human family and left me to die?" Bella continued to question them.

Heidi and Demetri nodded their confirmations.

Bella started trembling with fear. Fear of facing the demon that stole her family from her sixteen years ago. A look of absolutely panic began stretching across her face. All eyes in the room focused on her reaction, planning for the worst.

As Edward wrapped his arms around her shoulders, Heidi began to move very quickly towards Bella. She suddenly halted her mother's approach with a raised hand and shook Edward's arm off her shoulders. They both stare at her confused. Bella rose and went to stand in front of Demetri. She continued to tremble with fear but the panic in her face had been replaced with a look of determination. She wiped at the dried and wet tears that had collected on her cheeks and stood up tall. She looked into her father's eyes.

"So how do we kill him," she spoke calmly and coldly.

Demetri reached out and lightly brushed Bella's cheek with his hand. He smiled down at his daughter.

"No! You can't!" Edward suddenly stood up and began his protests obviously having read Demetri's mind before Demetri answered Bella's question.

"It's the only way, Edward. James wants her. Plain and simple. And he will come for her eventually. If he strikes when we aren't expecting it, he could very well win and lives could be lost. But if we see it coming and plan carefully, it will be our opportunity to kill him," Demetri explained to Edward.

"Bait," Bella said in an almost-whisper. Demetri nodded his confirmation.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?" Heidi screamed out.

Heidi and Edward were protesting Demetri's plan to use Bella to draw James out of hiding when another vision came to me. It was a vision of Edward and James. Edwards crouched on a dirty wood floor. James' head in Edward's grasps. The sound of cracking stone. James' headless body lying next to Edward.

"Everyone quiet please. I've seen it. This will work," I cried out.

Edward and Heidi ceased their arguments and turned towards me. Edward immediately began reading my thoughts.

"You have to be positive, Alice. I can't, I won't risk her life on guesses. I refuse to put her in danger if you are unsure," Edward pleaded with me.

"It's the most concrete vision I've had in days, Edward." I said and begin explaining my vision to the others, "I just saw Edward killing James."

"Tell me what I need to do," Bella said.

Heidi looked with astonishment towards her daughter. Bella looked back her with absolutely determination in her eyes.

"I will play no part in this madness," Heidi stated plainly and walked out of the room.

Edward grabbed Bella's face and held it in between his hands.

"You don't have to do this, Bella. We can find another way to draw him out." Edward pleaded with her.

"If there's another way, I'm all ears, Edward. But if this is what needs to be done to save us all then this is what I am going to do." Bella informed him.

Edward looked to me with a worried expression. I shook my head. Edward's hands dropped from Bella's face and he went to resume his position on the sofa. Defeated.

"Alright so how do we do it? When and where?" Bella asked her father. Demetri smiled warmly at his daughter.

"You have amazed me since the day I found you, Isabella Bollai," Demetri said to her while pulling her to him to hug. "Be patient my brave girl. There is still one thing we must do before we take any kind of action."

Demetri turned to address the others in the room with Bella still held in his arms.

"I have been in contact with Laurent," Demetri announced.

"Laurent? From James coven?" Jasper asked shocked.

"Yes, Jasper. The very same. It seems he may be our ally. He has left James coven recently and came to Italy hoping to secure a position with the guard. That is how we began talking. He is the one who told me of James having been tracking her all these years. He also confirmed that James had informed the Volturi of Isabella's existence." Demetri explained.

"Can he be trusted?" Carlisle asked.

"I honest don't know yet," Demetri replied, "Heidi and I spent so brief a time with James' coven so I'm not sure. Jasper, I was hoping you could share what you know of Laurent."

"I was with James' coven for fifteen years. ButI honestly never truly knew Laurent. I can tell you that he followed James and without ever questioning anything. He was very quiet and only seemed to speak when necessary. Unlike James who never shut up. He went along with every rash, spontaneous decision or task that James would come up with and accepted it. It was like he was indifferent to everything. He never spoke of his past. He was very strange. I honestly don't know if we can trust him," Jasper explained.

"Surely you must have felt emotions or something," Alice inquired.

"Only once, when I first met him. I explained my power to them and I felt Laurent get extremely nervous, anxious. But after that it was as if he shut down his emotions whenever I was around," Jasper informed us.

"Like me, a shield?" Bella asked Jasper.

"Not quite. Just extreme control over his emotions. None of the coven had any special abilities outside of James' tracking, of that I'm sure," Jasper said.

We sat in quiet contemplation of what this could mean for a few moments.

"I've invited him here tonight," Demetri said breaking the silence.

Edward immediate rose to his feet.

"You invited him here? With Bella?" Edward said in disbelief. "You just said you have no idea if he can be trusted and then you want him under the same roof with Bella?" Edward continues.

"My dear, boy, how else was I going to get you close enough to read his mind and confirm his intentions?" Demetri smiled.

Edward slowly relaxed realizing that Demetri was correct. The plan for the evening was to be simple. Edward would find out what he could by reading Laurent's mind while Jasper attempted to flush out his emotions if possible. I of course would be on the lookout for any visions concerning Laurent. Once Laurent arrived, Carlisle planned to scout the area to ensure he wasn't followed or that he hadn't brought any unwelcomed guests with him.

Once the plans for the evening were cemented, Heidi returned and asked how she could help. Bella ran to her mother and practically jumped into her arms. They held each other for a moment declaring their love for each other.

I glanced over to Edward and noticed that he seemed once again to be carrying on a silent conversation with Carlisle.

"Bella and Edward, perhaps the two of you should discuss where you intend to go once it is safe to leave Italy. Since the rest of us must remain in the dark with regards to your plans and where Bella is going, I think it would be wise for you to take Bella into town to chat," Carlisle suggested.

Edward and Bella agreed and left the house headed for the small town located several miles down the road from the Bollai's residence.

Once their car began pulling down the gravel drive towards the street, Carlisle spoke.

"Alright, Alice. I have spent the last several decades watching the exchanges you and Edward have regarding your visions. And if there is one thing that I have become keen on recognizing during those exchanges is when you aren't telling Esme and I the whole truth. Now why don't you let us know what you really saw in your vision," Carlisle concluded.

"Flames," I began.

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Sorry guys, I thought I would have this posted sooner but it proved to be a difficult chapter to write. This is where I had to begin setting up the coming conflict and climax. I found out that it wasn't as easy as expected trying to make sure all the different powers were taken into consideration while making sure all the players were in their correct positions on "stage". I had to rewrite several pieces just to fill in the holes I found in the plot as I was writing, etc. Pretty much I had to combat the always popular "Why didn't Alice see this coming?" question which included having to go ahead and plot out the remaining chapters too. **Uggghhh….MY BRAIN HURTS….**lol Anyway, let me know what you think.

More to come soon!


	18. Conspiracy

No matter what my inner voice may be telling me….Stephenie Meyer owns Edward….not me.

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Chapter 17 - Conspiracy

JamesPOV

I sat next to Victoria at a small corner table in the run down pub just outside of Volterra waiting for Laurent. As Victoria slowly slid her hand up my thigh in an attempt to arouse my interest in her, I kept a keen eye on the entire establishment. I drew the stale air of the pub into my lungs. I smelled and tasted my surroundings.

The pub was a mixture of fouls odors. The dark paneling on the walls was permeated with the scent of liquor, cigarette smoke, and mildew. The floor was crusted with dirt and the dried puddles of spilled drinks. The only other beings in the dilapidated pub were a small group of three aging, human, Italian men and the barkeep. The scent of their sweat and blood was strong. My mouth filled with venom.

"Mmmm. Perhaps a snack while we wait?" Victoria whispered in my ear seductively as her hand gripped my crotch, having finally reached its destination.

"Business first," I said tersely while pushing her hand from my dick.

Victoria placed her hands in her lap and moved over slightly putting several inches between us. She lowered her gaze to the table and sat silently with her bottom lip pursed.

I ignored her pouting and continued monitoring the pub. I took in a deep breath searching through the mingled scents trying to monitor what lay beyond the walls of the pub. The draftiness of the pub allowed me ample tastes of the outside world so I could immediately be alerted to the approach of any unwelcomed vampires.

"You fool! She will never love you the way I do!" Victoria yelled out as she stood from her seat suddenly, knocking the chair to the floor behind her.

She stood there looking expectantly down at me with hurt and rage in her eyes. I glanced over to the human men whose glasses were frozen in midair, half raised to their mouths. Their conversations ceased as they stared at the two of us.

I slowly pushed my chair back from the table and rose to stand in front of Victoria, my back to the men at the bar. I brought my hand up and stroked her hair softly and then moved it underneath her hair to the grasp the back of her neck. I placed the other hand around her waist and pulled her gently to me in what would appear to be an embrace to our audience. The faintest sound of splintering and cracking stone could be heard by only us as my hand tightened its grip and began to break through the pale marble skin at the base of her neck. Victoria hissed in pain. I nuzzled my nose to her ear and began to whisper to her while further tightening my grip on her neck.

"I suggest you keep your fucking mouth shut before I rip your head from its fucking body. Do you understand?" I spat into Victoria's ear through clenched teeth as my fingers continued breaking through the skin on her neck.

I pulled my mouth from her ear and looked into her eyes with a forced smile. I began to relax my grip on her neck. Victoria nodded and released the breath that she had been holding in.

"That's a good girl. We don't want to make a scene now do we?" I said as I released her neck and brought my hand around to grasp her chin.

Victoria shook her head slowly. I leaned down and reluctantly took her lips in mine. She was tense at first but then began to relax and kiss me back passionately. Her tongue swept across my lips. I parted them allowing her to enter my mouth. She moaned with pleasure as our tongues fought against one another. I moved my hands to her ass and began to roughly knead the hard flesh there. Just as her breathing was becoming erratic with passion, I pulled back from her.

"Like I said, business first," I stated.

Victoria smiled and bent to pick her chair up from the floor. She quietly sat back down at the table. I took my seat next to her and looked toward the other patrons. They continued to stare at us. I flashed them a smile and a wink. They chuckled and exchanged quick words in Italian and then resumed their previous drinking and merriment, forgetting about the odd couple in the corner.

Victoria resumed rubbing my cock with her hand under the table eventually pulling down the zipper of my pants slowly. Her hand entered past the metal of the zipper and began searching for my dick under the fabric of my pants. Once located, she let out a disappointed sigh when she realized it was flaccid. She began vigorously working her hand up, down, and around my member trying to get it to respond to her touch. She had no idea that her touch disgusted and did nothing for me.

"Please, baby. Let me help you ease some of your stress," Victoria pleaded to me in a soft voice.

The last thing I wanted was to have Victoria's hands on me but I knew I needed to keep playing the part of the caring lover. I needed her to trust me and to continue obeying every order I gave her for just a little while longer. I found a small measure of happiness in the fact that I would not have to suffer her presence much longer. Soon I would be rid of her for good and Isabella would be mine for the taking.

Victoria increased the tempo of her strokes on my dick. I closed my eyes and pictured Isabella's mouth around my dick. I pictured myself standing with Isabella on her knees in front of me, sucking me, swallowing me. My dick began to harden in Victoria's hand.

I continued to imagine burying myself in Isabella's mouth. Grasping the back of her head, slamming my cock hard down the back of her throat while she moaned in pain, choking on it. It didn't take long before I was coming in Victoria's hand with a grunt of ecstasy and relief. She grabbed a napkin from the table and cleaned us both up just as I caught the scent of a familiar vampire approaching outside.

"That pathetic human bitch could never make you feel the way I make you feel," Victoria leaned over and whispered into my ear.

I pushed her back to her side of the table quickly dismissing her comment "Not now Victoria, Laurent is here," I informed her as I rose from my chair.

Laurent had entered the bar and began making his way to our table.

"James, Victoria," he greeted us simply.

"Please, sit my old friend," I invited him to join us.

As Laurent took his seat at our now crowded table, he glanced down at the napkin Victoria had just used to clean my dick and her hand.

He cocked his eyes toward me and said, "Hardly the time or place, wouldn't you agree?"

I chuckled and responded, "Victoria can be persistent."

"Yes, well it seems you have attracted the attention of the locals with your vulgarity," Laurent informs us with a hint of disapproval in his voice. He nodded his head towards the men still sitting at the bar.

I glanced over and saw one of the older Italian men staring at Victoria with lust, his mouth slightly ajar, and his hand adjusting his obviously uncomfortable engorged member. He was overweight and sloppy. He wiped at the sweat beading on his forehead and licked his lips, his gaze fixed on Victoria.

"It would seem you have a fan, Vicky," I pointed the man out to her.

She looked over at the man and quickly dismissed him and my comment with a roll of her eyes.

"Come on, Vicky. I've never seen you turn your nose up at any meal. You've enjoyed much less savory men than him before," I said to her teasingly.

She signed and gave the man another appraising glance.

"He does remind me of my piece of shit human father. I suppose a quick meal would be more favorable than being bored with your talk of Isabella," Victoria said.

I watched on as Victoria rose from her chair and made her way to the man sitting at the bar. She whispered in the man's ear. He quickly, anxiously, and clumsily stood from his bar stool and followed her outside, away from the pub, to his eventual death.

"Does she suspect anything?" Laurent questioned after I confirmed that Victoria was far away, out of earshot.

"Nothing," I told him.

"Good, we need to ensure her continued obedience if this is to work," Laurent said. "It does seem an awful waste though. So cunning, beautiful, insatiable. " Laurent continued.

I chuckled. He was fully aware of my growing disdain for Victoria.

"Then you fuck her. I have grown tired of talking about Victoria. Tell me what your next move is," I said to Laurent.

Laurent began telling me of his success in earning Demetri's trust. Demetri seemed to believe that Laurent was his ally and wanted to help them save their pathetic lives. So much so that Laurent had successfully obtained an invitation to the Bollai's home that night.

The plan for the night was for Laurent to find a way to separate the group. He also needed to obtain a piece of physical evidence from the Bollai's home that we could later offer up as proof to the Volturi of the Cullen's and Bollai's involvement in a plot to overthrow them.

"And you are sure you can evade Jasper's powers, the mind reader's powers?" I questioned him.

"You doubt my ability, old friend?" Laurent questioned.

"I'm just concerned. Everything is dependent on you being able to conceal your emotions and your thoughts tonight. If you falter an inch, we are done for," I said to Laurent.

"I am fully aware of my part in this game, James. I won't fail you," he said.

I knew Laurent's ability to hide his thoughts and emotions were strong. He had been doing it since before becoming a vampire. Laurent had grown up in an orphanage in Paris. One of the countless children left fatherless, motherless after World War I. While in the orphanage he endured years of abuse and torture at the hands of his so called caregivers. He had developed the ability to remove his mind from the situation to block out the physical and emotional torment they had caused him. He became cold and calloused as he repeatedly retreated into his own mind and fantasies, far removed from the torture they inflicted upon him.

Eventually, he reached the age where he could leave behind the monsters that had abused him and set out on his own. After leaving the orphanage, he soon discovered that he had himself become a monster. He wanted revenge for his suffering. He wanted to inflict the pain he had endured on others. He craved it. He had become Paris' own version of Jack The Ripper by the time I had found him and made him into one of us.

After becoming a vampire, Laurent's ability to shut off his emotions and control his thoughts grew exponentially. He was able to look into the eyes of his victims as they pled for their lives or the lives of their loved ones never showing any emotions. I was counting on his gift in order to secure what I needed most, what I desired most.

Isabella.

My thoughts began to drift back to the pictures in my mind of Isabella on her knees in front of me when as Laurent continued to go over his plans with me.

"It would seem that Isabella and the youngest Cullen have grown very fond of each other," he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked him now agitated, taken off guard by his comment.

"The son, the mind reader. Demetri shared with me that he has chosen Isabella as his mate and she has chosen him," Laurent informed me with a hint of mocking in his tone. "It could mean an ugly fight," Laurent continued.

"I will kill him myself," I plainly stated trying to conceal the jealously that was quickly, dangerously building inside of me.

"Ah, but you can't. He has forbid it, has he not?" Laurent quickly pointed out. He appeared to be enjoying taunting me.

"Remember our orders, James. We are not to harm Isabella, the mind reader, the fortune teller, or Jasper. He has plans for them once the Volturi fall and he is in power. With all their special abilities combined, no one will be able to stand against him," Laurent reminded me.

"Which reminds me," Laurent added. "What of our positions within the new ruling order? Do you trust him to honor our bargain?"

As I opened my mouth to respond to Laurent's question, my phone rang. I quickly pulled it from my pocket and looked at the caller ID.

"It's him," I informed Laurent.

"I will leave you to discuss the arrangements," Laurent announced and rose to leave.

Laurent took a step away from the table but stopped and turned back towards me. He leaned down close to my face and whispered a warning, "I will seek revenge, old friend, if you double cross me."

I reached up and patted him on the back and smiled.

"You can rest assured that your future is secure," I said. He nodded at me, turned, and left the pub.

I answered my still ringing phone.

"It is not wise to keep me waiting, James," the caller said with a deep sigh.

"I apologize. I was just finishing up with Laurent," I inform him.

"And I trust everything is moving along as planned?" he asked me.

"Yes. Tonight our plans will be put into motion," I assured him.

"Good. Please send the redhead to the castle tonight. Aros will be out attending to other business and it will allow her the opportunity to witness against the Cullens and Bollais without him reading her thoughts," He said.

" I trust she has her story straight?" he asks.

"Yes, she is ready. She will inform the Leaders that the Bollais and Cullen have approached her to join them in a plot to overthrow them," I reiterated the story to him.

"Perfect. She must then flee before she can be questioned further. I will take it from there, convincing them of the truth of her words. If they demand additional proof, I will call you and you can prepare the proof and have it delivered as we discussed," he said.

"When will you be taking Isabella?" He questioned.

I explained Laurent's plan to separate them that night. Once separated, I would kidnap Isabella and take her to our prearranged meeting place. My dick began to harden at the mere thought of finally having her in my clutches.

"Remember, James. No harm is to come to Isabella. She belongs to me. You have become such a loyal general to me, I would hate to have to end your life," he warned.

"You can trust me, my master," I assured him.

"We shall see," He stated simply before hanging up the phone.

* * *

Any guesses on who the mystery man is that James talks to on the phone? All will be revealed soon but I think its time for some Bella and Edward lovin' dont you? Stay tuned for the next chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


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